Too hot to cook? London chef shares tips to keep it cool in the kitchen

When the temperature climbs into the 30s as it has this week, the last thing many people want to do is fire up the stove, but there are ways to eat well without adding to the heat.

Katherine Jones, the executive chef at Growing Chefs! Ontario, joined CBC London Morning to offer some simple strategies as extreme heat can change everything in the kitchen, from your appetite to how quickly food can spoil.

"We generally have a lower appetite when it's this hot," she said. "You've got to think about how fast things can go bad, like fruit basically ripening in real-time."

Her first tip is to avoid heating up the kitchen in the first place by leaning on small appliances like air fryers or taking the cooking outside.

"We did a wood-fired pizza class the other night," she said. "It was hot in front of the oven, sure, but the kitchen stayed cool," adding the barbecue is another option for taking the cooking outside.

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Jones also recommends batch cooking during cooler times of the day, "Cook once, eat twice," she said.

On the weekend, she grilled chicken breasts that were used all week for salads, tacos, fajitas, and school lunches. When possible, Jones said she opts for cold dishes entirely.

"Smoothies for breakfast. Gazpacho for lunch. High water-content foods, like fruits and vegetables, really help cool the body."

Jones said another thing to avoid is food that takes a long time to cook.

"No roasts or stews. Just keep it light, keep it simple. Cut-up veggies in the fridge, ready to go."

As for her dinner plans on another scorcher of a day, Jones said, "It's burgers on the barbecue. Chefs don't always eat fancy. Sometimes, you just need to be kind to yourself."