Here's What To Eat When It's 110 Degrees Outside

The Pacific Northwest is in the middle of what CBS called a "once-in-a-millenium heat dome." The region is currently baking at dangerously high temperatures, with Seattle slated to reach the 100s this afternoon and 111-degree highs predicted for Portland, Oregon. As the famously temperate region grapples with what may be the new normal, PNW residents may not have much of an appetite. But people gotta eat—which is why Seattle Times food writer Bethany Jean Clement wrote up a few ideas for heat dome-friendly meals. While some of Clement's suggestions are -specific to the Seattle area, others are more general, largely pulling from Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese traditions. A few of Clement's recommendations:

• Hot or cold sandwiches, like banh mi
• Cold noodle dishes like Vietnamese bún with rice vermicelli, cooling Korean naeng myun, or Japanese zaru soba served with cool broth
• Cold noodle salad with fish sauce (good recipe from the Seattle Times here) or a classic pasta salad
• Cold soups like vichyssoise or gazpacho
• Finally, Popsicles. Lots of them. Buy them, make them—just keep chowing down on cold stuff to bring your temperature down.

While Clement's recommendations are helpful, I do want to note that the Seattle Times article cites grilling as an "obvious choice" for 100-degree days. I don't think that's true. When temperatures are over 100, you don't need to be anywhere near a hot cooking apparatus. The same goes for picnicking which, while quaint, could be a one-way ticket to heat exhaustion on particularly hot days.

Finally, if you choose to order out, please be conscious of the people preparing your food. As one Twitter user pointed out, kitchen workers suffer when temperatures climb, so try to skip the hot, greasy entrees until things cool down. In the meantime, check out the rest of Clement's recommendations in the Seattle Times, and stay cool.