. I am so sick of cooking. At least I am as I write this, four days into a New York-style heat wave, and three weeks into a project that has me testing recipes and -- get this -- turning on the oven. You know that's essentially against the law in my house during the months of July until August, so in order to preserve some sense of sanity in the kitchen, I've been on a chilled dinner kick. Most of these require turning on the stovetop, but if you're smart about it, you can do a little advance cooking all at once (poach chicken, cook shrimp, boil noodles), stash your loot in the fridge, then grab for a quick assembly job during the week. Herewith, a few ideas: