Small plates and cocktail pairings are perfect for sweltering summer

By this time every summer, even two-fisted eaters lose their appetites. These are not beef-stew days for us desert dwellers.

Soaring temperatures call for refreshing noshes — small, casual nibbles, preferably served with a refreshing cocktail.

“This is when we want less and lighter meals that any other time of year could be an appetizer or first course,” said Nathan Martinez, chef and co-owner of Social Tap Pub and Grill in Scottsdale.

A former chef at high-end resorts, Martinez creates noshes that compensate for their lack of heft with an explosion of flavors and serves them with companion cocktails. These nosh-and-drink combos feature colors and flavors that energize appetites dulled by the relentless heat.

Today, appetizer-style noshes pass as a proper dinner, thanks in part to the popularity of tapas and other small-plate restaurant dishes. The key? Meals that fill rather than stuff — food with hints of heat.

It sounds counterintuitive, but chiles and other hot foods work as culinary air-conditioners. That’s why many of the world’s best spicy dishes come from hot-temperature countries including India, Mexico and Thailand.

Here’s how hot cools: Blood vessels close to the surface of your skin, especially on your face and neck, expand so the blood can throw off heat. This causes your internal temperature to decrease and your skin temperature to rise. Next, you sweat, and as the sweat evaporates it cools you off.

“We still want to eat in the summer, but not the same way we do the rest of the year. Nobody wants to finish a meal and feel like they have to take a nap,” he said.

Whether for a work-night meal or a weekend gathering with friends, Martinez shares his creations from the pub’s catering menu for summertime nosh-and-cocktails at home:

Tomato confit and avocado gazpacho with tomato-and-chile-infused vodka, served with Phoenix’s Burning: The jalape?o-infused soup combines a touch of zing with a creamy, yogurt-based chilled tomato and avocado soup. Phoenix Burning is a refreshing gin cocktail that repeats the jalape?o and avocado flavors of the soup.

Salmon ceviche, served with blood orange margarita: A refreshing, citrus-spiked salmon gets an extra layer of flavoring from bold sambal chile paste and arugula. Pair it with a thirst-quenching blood orange margarita.

Roasted red pepper hummus, served with beer sangria: Chickpeas, roasted garlic, tahini, cayenne pepper and cumin turn this Mediterranean staple into a satisfying vegetarian meal. Pair it with a fruity beer sangria.