These lovely long days of summer in the northern latitudes seem to come with exceedingly hot temperatures more and more frequently. The recent European heat wave is among the worst ever recorded, and here in the US, parts of the country are bracing for a severe heat dome that will bring sweltering temperatures. The last thing you want to do when it's this hot is stand in a hot kitchen and cook dinner.

There are several strategies you can employ to keep your kitchen from turning into a sauna, such as limiting use of heat-generating appliances to early morning or later in the evening after the sun has set. If you do need to turn on the oven, it's a good idea to bake in bulk, either by making large batches or meal prepping all roasted components at once for the week.

With summer produce season in full swing, eating no-cook meals is a no-brainer. Most salads and cold soups require little to no cooking, and this seems like the perfect time for a spin on "girl dinner" - think vegetable platters and charcuterie boards. When it's really hot outside, these are more appealing than a long-cooked, heavy stew anyway.

Making use of small appliances like toaster ovens, Instant Pots, air fryers, induction burners, and electric skillets is another winning strategy to avoid a sweltering kitchen. Not only do they produce less heat, but most of these appliances can be moved to a cooler area of the house, such as the basement, or even outside on your deck or in the backyard. Be sure to follow manufacturer recommendations about using extension cords, and don't set up any cooking devices on unsteady surfaces.

Of course, using your gas or charcoal grill, smoker, pizza oven or other outdoor appliance is perfect when the temperatures climb. The EYB Library is chock full of great BBQ and grilling ideas, with over 19,000 recipes available online, such as the Chile-glazed steak-and mango skewers from Food & Wine pictured above.