Courtesy of our Cooking Correspondent, TaMara:
I’m busy getting ready to head to New Orleans, so tonight’s menu is pretty simple. I won’t have computer access there, so I won’t be posting until I get back, but I’m hoping to have lots to talk about then. JeffW is out of commission for the foreseeable future due to computer issues and I thought we were going to be a sad little blog until I got back, but fate intervenes. We are so lucky to welcome IndyLib as a new contributor. I don’t think she was expecting me to hand the keys over to her first thing, but here you are Indy. Take care of everyone while I’m away. Please make her feel welcome.
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On to tonight’s menu. When I was a kid, this was one of the favorite Friday night recipes my mom would make. I don’t make it as often now, probably because once I start eating it, I don’t want to stop. Kind of healthy junk food, I guess. Dress up the salad with things that make you happy, I’d probably add a little more heat, myself. And if you want to make it vegetarian, skip the beef, add black beans instead, sprinkle taco seasoning in with the beans, corn and tomatoes before adding to the salad.
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On the board tonight:
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1) Layered Taco Salad
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2) Broiled Pineapple
Recipes and shopping list at the link, as ever.
arguingwithsignposts
Does anyone know how to light a gas oven? I have a pretty modern gas stove, but I can’t figure out how to get the oven lighted, and gas freaks me out. (the stovetop has automatic spark that lights the burners)
kthnxbai
Martin
Oven should self-light unless it’s 40+ years old.
If not, you probably have a hole at the top of the oven which is where the pilot would be. You want to light a match and stick it up in that hole *while the oven is off*, and that should light the pilot. If not, it could mean that there’s a problem with the gas feed to the oven.
arguingwithsignposts
@Martin:
Yes, it’s pretty modern. I tried to use the oven recently, expecting it to self light, but it did nothing. I don’t have the instruction manual (rental). Might try to look online.
Thanks for the help. I really like the gas stove – much better than electric imho, but just always been a little leery of gas for some reason.
Greenhouse Guy
@arguingwithsignposts: Just turn the knob before 1. It’ll click a while, then turn past.
Martin
@arguingwithsignposts: Most modern ovens have an electronic starter. It might not be working though. Mine died a few months ago and I had to order a new one and replace it.
If it’s older than that, you’d have a pilot – basically a slow leak of gas that remains lit 24/7 that is then used to light the oven. If that was out, you should smell gas when you open the oven, so I’m guessing that’s not it.
My guess is your electronic starter is burned out.
To get around it, you can buy oven matches – they’re rather long matches, maybe 6″ long, and you light it, stick it into a hole in the bottom of your oven, and turn on the gas. If it doesn’t light right away, turn off the gas remove the match, open the door for a few minutes, and put a new match in a different place and try again. Once you get it to light, retrieve the match.
It works in a pinch, but you want to get that starter replaced.
Paddy
I present for your enjoyment erm, jeers-
Video- “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” Trailer
TaMara (BHF)
Just a quick hello before I head off to bed. I really, really don’t want another week at work like this one has been. I haven’t even had time to stop by and read BJ all week. I miss my fix.
Indylib has posted her first recipe over at our place and it sounds wonderful. Once again BJ has made my life a little bit better by bringing the nicest people into my world. Night all.
Mnemosyne
@arguingwithsignposts:
The nice thing about it being a rental is that you can call your landlord and tell him to come fix it for you. :-)
Violet
@arguingwithsignposts:
It should have an electric starter just like the stovetop. Definitely check with your landlord and maybe they’ll fix it for you if it’s broken. Even the old oven (20 years or so) at the house I formerly rented had an electric starter.
asiangrrlMN
@arguingwithsignposts: Depends on what you want to use it for. Are you planning a Sylvia Plath?