"Summer is just around the corner and I am a huge fan of preparing cold dishes that keep the heat out of the kitchen. I also enjoy entertaining family and friends every weekend that the weather is warm. What recipe ideas do you have that fall in that category?" I love the warmer weather myself as well, and especially when it comes time to prepare meals. The nicer weather always makes me want to get out of the kitchen and into the garden. When this happens I often find myself whipping together a cold pasta salad for lunch, and there is usually enough left over to use as a side dish for dinner later that week. Cold pasta salads are very easy to make and aside from boiling water to cook the pasta, they seldom require raising the temperature of the kitchen several hundred degrees while a meal is being made. These are energy efficient recipes that will keep your family fed without wasting tons of energy. Several of my favorite recipes are in this book, many of which I consider personal specialties I threw together myself, only to discover how much everyone else liked them.

Shrimp & Broccoli Pasta Salad, Pineapple Pasta Salad, Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Olives and Capers, and Asian Bow-Tie Pasta Salad with Shrimp and Vegetables are just a handful of my favorites. Bon Appetit, Ann Sullivan.