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.

I have some good information for you today regarding appetizers. It's some shortcut advice to artful presentations of beautiful foods that perhaps you did not make yourself. But I have to lead up to that. I can't just give you the info, I need to push my "social agenda" a bit. It's been a while since I have been accused of that and I'd like to muck up the waters in that regard!

You see, I live in the big city. Smack dab in the middle of the big city. Hollywood. No burbs or beaches for me! Too slow…

There are advantages to living in the big city. Now, before you yell at me let me say– I am sure that small towns have their charms too. But I live in the big city so I can only speak of the big city kinds of things that the big city has to offer.

And the big city has a lot to offer. It’s the primary advantage of living here. Well, of course I like the astronomical prices, maniacal crowds, the traffic and (oh yeah) the crime too. But today I am here to talk art!

I am lucky to have a friend with an art gallery in the prestigious Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. His gallery has recently relocated there and to celebrate its arrival in the big city he recently had a group show with some of his most interesting artists.

Winter is the height of the season in Southern California for many of the greens we all love.

Kale, Spinach, Rapini, Chard, Mustard, Pea Tendrils. You see them this time of year at the market. They are so beautiful, like masterful Baroque still-life paintings of the Dutch Golden Age.  The intensity of detail of these greens can almost be off putting. Intricate shapes, complex gradations of color; thick, lush and vibrant. Cooking with them just makes you feel like an artist.

But if you are able to look past all the variations of green greens, you might notice another type of green entirely. And that green is RED!

You may be familiar with Red Leaf Lettuce. It’s a pretty alternative to the Green Leaf Lettuce you find in your local supermarket. Aside from its striking red blush, it tastes fairly similar to its more common green brother. Though, I swear it gets all black and slimy much quicker than the green guy.