THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, August 13, 1995                TAG: 9508100144
SECTION: FLAVOR                   PAGE: F1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: By BETTY DOUGLASS, SPECIAL TO FLAVOR 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   34 lines

THE HEAT IS OFF IN THE PANTING DOG DAYS OF AUGUST, DON'T MAKE THE OVEN COMPETE WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER. TRY THESE COOL RECIPES INSTEAD.

WEBSTER DEFINES cooking as: 1.) to prepare food for eating; 2.) to subject to heat or fire.

On the heels of the longest heat wave on record, the latter doesn't entice.

So as we roll into the dog days of August, we'll pull out the toaster oven, crock-pot, electric fry-pan, vegetable steamer or microwave. And give our conventional oven an extended vacation.

With a little ingenuity, some of summer's bounty and a few convenient, pre-cooked foods like store-roasted chicken, we'll make cooking cooler and use less power.

We'll go beyond ho-hum sandwiches, salads and cold plates. The easy recipes inside use little or no cooking.

They're light and appealing, perfect for taking the heat out of late-summer dining. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MOTOYA NAKAMURA/Staff

Cool Shrimp and Chicken Fajitas require no cooking - just a little

microwaving to soften the tortillas.

by CNB