Are you struggling with ways to keep your cool in the kitchen during these hot August days? Do you long to prepare gourmet meals for friends and family, but just can't bear to spend those sweltering evenings cooking? There must be a way. After all, how do the food professionals do it?

We got the scoop from some food editors, caterers, cookbook authors and restaurateurs who shared with us their clever shortcuts -- which you can use to help you cook like a pro.

Down in Alabama, where temperatures soar and everyone demands good, filling food year round, the staff of Southern Living has been busy creating new dishes to make the most of summer.

"Sometimes in the summer, we find ourselves going overboard with sandwiches and salads and we are left wanting something more substantial," says Dana Adkins Campbell, editor of Southern Living's annual Summertime special-edition magazine, which includes more than 120 recipes for summer foods. "Sandwiches get boring unless you get creative. Buy some interesting bread from the bakery, go to the deli and try a meat you haven't had . . . buy a new type of cheese."

She also suggests folding fresh or dried herbs into mayonnaise, especially the lower-fat varieties to spice up the taste. "If you are grilling outside, throw on some pretty vegetables, like purple onions, or colored peppers and grill them. Put them in the fridge with balsamic vinegar and oil and serve them cold on a sandwich or salad later on," she advises.

And to bulk up a green salad, so those with hearty appetites will feel satisfied, she suggests purchasing a roasted chicken from the deli, cutting it up, and tossing it in.

One creative approach to summer eating is a "pizza bar." Ms. Campbell buys ready-to-bake pizza crusts in the refrigerator section, assembles a wide range of toppings from shredded cheeses, to pesto sauces, Italian sausages and fresh herbs, and lets her family or guests build their own toppings. "Pop them in the oven for eight minutes, and you can accommodate a lot of tastes from simple to gourmet." She has found that children are more interested in eating foods that they help to select and assemble.

Nona Nielsen-Parker, who owns and operates the Baltimore catering firm, Culinary Capers, does most of the "heavy" cooking in the cool morning hours or late evening hours. She makes lots of salads, like her Summer Pasta Salad below, and uses primarily balsamic vinegars instead of mayonnaise for a lighter, zestier taste. She recommends using the broiler instead of the oven because it heats the kitchen less.

"Use boneless cuts of meat, because they cook faster," says Ms. Nielsen-Parker, and "don't think that you have to make three courses, just put everything in one dish and make that a meal." To stave off food boredom, use different ingredients. Instead of traditional pasta, or vegetable salads, try making her Asian Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Tuna.

Columbia writer, Ruth Glick, co-author of "100% Pleasure: The Low-Fat Cookbook for People Who Love to Eat" (Baggett/Glick, $26.95), recommends grilling foods such as salmon or other fish, and vegetables to make a complete meal. Her No-fat Ginger-Soy Marinade promises to bring out flavor and add moistness when used with grilled fish or meats. Ms. Glick also recommends her tart and tangy Fresh Ginger-Peach Sauce, which could be just the thing to add to homemade or store-bought frozen desserts such as ice cream, yogurts and sorbets.

"We do a lot of seasonal cooking, and summer is the jackpot for us," says Spike Gjerde, chef and co-owner of Spike & Charlie's Restaurant. "We don't touch any melons until the local ones are ready and then we go crazy. Sorbet is a great way to use sweet Maryland melons." At the restaurant they make ice creams and sorbets with unusual flavor combinations, including the refreshing and fat-free Cantaloupe Mint Sorbet. Making these desserts at home can be as much entertainment as nourishment if the whole family gets involved. You may need an ice cream freezer, although Mr. Gjerde says that his recipes can be made using the refrigerator freezer.

The following two recipes are from Summertime.

Curried Chicken and Mango Salad

Serves 3 to 4

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken

lettuce leaves

1 mango, peeled seeded and chopped (see note)

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, curry, ginger, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl; stir in chicken.

Arrange lettuce leaves on individual plates; top evenly with chicken mixture and chopped mango.

Note: If you don't want to peel and chop a fresh mango -- or you can't find one -- buy a jar of sliced mangoes in the produce section instead.

Per serving: calories, 318; fat, 29 g; saturated fat, 7 g; carbohydrates, 15 g; protein, 4 g; sodium, 449 mg; calcium, 104 mg; iron, 1 mg.

BLT Croissants

Serves 4

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 ounces goat cheese, softened

1/4 cup chopped commercial oil-packed dried tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried basil

4 large croissants, cut in half horizontally

8 slices bacon, cooked

1 cup torn bibb or red leaf lettuce leaves

Combine cheeses, stirring until smooth; stir in tomatoes and basil. Set aside or cover and chill 8 hours, if desired.

Spread mixture evenly on both halves of each croissant; place cheese sides up on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees for 5 minutes or until cheese mixture begins to melt. Remove from oven, and place bacon and lettuce evenly on bottom halves of croissants; top with remaining croissant halves. Serve immediately.

Per serving: calories, 484; fat, 33 g; saturated fat, 19 g; carbohydrates, 29 g; protein, 17 g; sodium, 833 mg; calcium, 242 mg; iron, 3 mg.

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Nona Nielsen-Parker offers the next two recipes.

Nona's Summer Pasta Salad

Serves 6 as a meal

FOR SALAD:

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cups zucchini, thinly sliced

1/2 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 pound pasta, prepared as directed

Parmesan cheese

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

black pepper to taste

For vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in blender or food processor. Marinate chicken breasts overnight in a quarter of the vinaigrette.

For salad, broil marinated chicken breasts and cool in refrigerator. Cut into bite-size pieces.

Saute zucchini and onion in balsamic vinegar for about 3 or 4 minutes. Set aside. Prepare pasta al dente and rinse it with cold water. Combine all ingredients. Pour balsamic vinaigrette over and refrigerate until ready to serve.

FTC Per serving (salad, without dressing): calories, 333; fat, 2 g; fat; saturated fat, 0 g; carbohydrates, 61 g; protein, 18 g; sodium, 81 mg; calcium, 54 mg; iron, 5 mg.

Per serving (dressing only): calories, 169; fat, 18 g; saturated fat, 2 g; carbohydrates, 3 g; protein, 0 g; sodium, 121 mg; calcium, 6 mg; iron, 0 mg.

Asian Rice Noodle Salad With Grilled Tuna

Serves 6

1 pound rice stick noodles

1/2 pound fresh tuna

1 red pepper, diced

3 scallions, sliced

3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs: basil, mint, cilantro, and dill

DRESSING:

1/2 cup soy sauce

6 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sake

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon ginger, finely minced

1/4 cup vegetable oil

pepper to taste

Marinate tuna overnight in about a fourth of the dressing.

Soak noodles in hot water until tender. Squeeze out excess water and set aside.

Broil or grill marinated tuna and cut into bite-size chunks

Toss noodles, tuna and all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl, and place in refrigerator.

To make the dressing, mix all ingredients except oil in food processor and mix thoroughly. Add oil while continuing to process.

Mix the dressing into the salad and serve.

Per serving (including dressing): calories, 505; fat, 19 g; saturated fat, 3 g; carbohydrates, 61 g; protein, 22 g; sodium, 1,140 mg; calcium, 46 mg; iron, 5 mg.

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The next two recipes are from Ruth Glick's "100% Pleasure: The Low-Fat Cookbook for People Who Love to Eat."

No-Fat Ginger-Soy

Marinade

Makes about 3/4 cup; enough to prepare 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds meat, poultry or fish

1/3 cup dry or medium-dry white wine

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon mild honey, such as clover

1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped ginger root

1 tablespoon chopped scallions

1 small garlic clove, minced (optional)

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 drops hot-pepper sauce (optional)

In a small deep bowl, stir together the wine, soy sauce and honey until the honey is smoothly incorporated. Add the ginger, scallions, garlic, Worcestershire, pepper and hot-pepper sauce. Use the marinade immediately or transfer it to a glass jar and refrigerate up to a week.

Per 3/4 cup: calories, 166; fat, 0 g; cholesterol, 0 g.

Fresh Ginger-Peach Sauce

Makes 2 1/2 cups

4 cups sliced peaches

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons peeled and minced ginger root

2 teaspoons lemon juice

pinch of ground cinnamon

Combine peaches, sugar, ginger, lemon juice and cinnamon in a 4-cup glass measure. Stir carefully so you don't break up the peach slices.

Cover with wax paper. Microwave on HIGH 5 to 8 minutes, or until mixture is bubbly and peaches are cooked; halfway through the cooking time, give the container a quarter turn and stir the peaches.

Cool slightly. Transfer about half the mixture to a food processor and puree it. Stir the puree back into the container. Refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours to allow the flavors to blend.

Per serving: calories, 33; total fat, less than .1 g; saturated fat, 0 g; cholesterol, 0 g.

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This sorbet comes from Spike & Charlie's.

Spike's Cantaloupe Mint Sorbet

Serves 12

3 branches fresh mint, leaves picked off stems and chopped

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 large Maryland cantaloupe

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Cut cantaloupe from rind, and puree in blender.

Combine sugar, water, and mint in small saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat, cool, and add to cantaloupe puree with lemon juice. Process in ice cream freezer.

Per serving: calories, 83; fat, 0 g; carbohydrates, 21 g; protein, 1 g; sodium, 5 mg; calcium, 20 mg; iron, 1 mg.