I have a pasta salad today, a dandelion pasta salad. This salad is made heavenly with the addition of feta cheese. It’s such a good salad it took two cooks to make it. Not that it is difficult. But there is a rather complicated story surrounding its creation. And because this other cook is a blogger, you can read her thoughts on this salad by clicking here.

But from my point of view I'd like you to meet the new girl in town. Formerly known as Spinach Tiger, I have renamed her for the purposes of this post. For the next thousand words or so she shall be known as– Dandelion Kitty!

That’s because Ms. Dandelion Kitty (Angela to some) was a recent visitor to my house. Which may not seem like such a revelation but you see she lives in Nashville and I live in Los Angeles. The other interesting fact is we started our friendship more as virtual friends than actually face-to-face friends. You see we were blog friends. But I put face to blog last November at the #FoodBuzz Festival and something about that face (and that blog) just stuck with me!

Still, inviting someone you barely know from across the country to come stay at your house may seem odd. But you see I knew somehow there was a greater purpose in this mission. So I embraced the idea (and changed the sheets in the guest room) in preparation of her arrival.

It’s summer, it’s hot. Certain foods just aren’t as appealing now as they are when there is a chill in the air. That’s just a fact of life. In fact I can safely say it is a rule. But don’t blame me I don’t make the rules. But I do enforce them. So turn off the oven and step away from the deep fryer.

Expect lighter, cooler dishes out of me for a while. L.A. has got the heat turned up and I am changing the way we eat until this swelter breaks.

Starting with today's pasta. Swordfish Stuffed Pasta Shells with Fresh Tomato & Herb Sauce. These shells are stuffed with a summery blend of swordfish, arugula and herbs. It's a light and flavorful dish served at room temperature, or even slightly chilled.

Typicallly stuffed pastas are served baked, often in a heavy or creamy sauce. But that ain't gonna happen in my kitchen anytime soon. There is no heavy sauce involved here, in fact the tomatoes in this recipe are not cooked at all. Making this is a great summertime meal. It can be made ahead in the morning before the heat of the day forces you out of the kitchen. It can sit in the fridge, next to the wine– waiting until dinner.

Welcome to my Kabob Party Day Three.

I am presenting gorgeous grilled goodies here everyday for a week. That's seven skewers lined up on the BBQ, because everybody likes food on a stick!

Today I have yet another simple summer skewer. It’s just one ingredient grilled to perfection and served with a condiment that makes it a complete experience.

Tomorrow I will start sticking a few varied combinations of ingredients on these sticks. But for today I am grilling up boneless chunks of chicken thighs, and nothin' but... I generally prefer the dark meat, especially for grilling. White meat can get so dried out and flavorless in the wrong hands. It’s much harder to overcook thighs, even when boneless. So it a good candidate for skewers. Because I as said yesterday a Kobob Party is perfect for seasonal entertaining because the prep can be done in advance. The cooking is so simple even the non-cooks amongst can handle the culinary task. Leaving you time to throw your magic behind some other aspect of the meal.

Today's recipe comes from the magazine La Cucina Italiana word for word. Even the photo looks similar (how'd that happen??). Somebody must have told them what I am up to because they have a whole feature in the August 2010 issue dedicated to spiedini (Italian Grilled Skewers). Pick up the issue if you still have not had enough grilled meat by the end of this week!

The best kabobs are really the most simple. Especially when they are a part of your summer entertaining. Kabobs and parties are a great combination.

First off because one of the best ways to keep guests entertained at a casual party is to get everyone involved in the cooking. Kabobs are perfect for those “let’s all pitch in” evenings outside when the weather is warm. The prep work can all be done in advance of the cooking. The skewering of ingredients can be left to some of the older children, allowing the adults some time for a cocktail at sunset.

When it’s time to actually cook the skewers it’s easy to delegate the task to Uncle Louie or Cousin Velma because even they can’t easily screw it up!

This is why I like to keep kabobs simple. But just because they are easy doesn’t mean there are not a few rules to assure Kabob Party success.