My Isla Kitchen Is Trying to Kill Me

Well, I had a rather dramatic time making dinner tonight, even more so than the first (and last) time I tried to light my oven.

I had the cast iron pan on the stove and it was hot seeing as I was searing red peppers (since I don’t have an oven I trust).

Next thing I knew, there was a boom and the counter and my left forearm were on fire. The BBQ lighter I use to light the burner, resting a full foot away from the stove, had exploded!!!

I cook like this at home all the time — propane stove, BBQ lighter a foot (and even less) from the stove, extremely hot cast iron pan, etc., so I can’t figure out what went wrong tonight. The only thing I can imagine at this point is that the counters here are made of tile and get hotter than my laminate counter top at home.

I actually have no idea how I put the fire out. I think I might have used a dishcloth. There’s absolutely no evidence that anything got cooked, except for the lighter casing being melted.

I am absolutely fine. I lost all the hair on the left forearm and it feels like I got a mild sunburn on it, but that’s it. I’m not even anywhere near close to a first degree burn. I am just annoyed that I don’t have a way to light the stove tomorrow morning to heat water for coffee!

13 thoughts on “My Isla Kitchen Is Trying to Kill Me

  1. Between this and almost getting bonked on the head by a coconut, eating and food in general is getting to be a dangerous sport down there,

    • And don’t forget the almond butter! I think the universe is telling me something. At first, it was that I had to stop eating, but I’m still shrinking, so that can’t be it. 😀

    • I bought one after the oven incident, but whatever I did last night was quicker than grabbing the darn thing, pulling the pin, etc.!

    • I know! I’ve nearly been killed by falling coconuts, uneven curbs and topes that have made me fall, and explosions in my kitchen.

      I 100% fine (although I can’t say the same for my left forearm hair, LOL!). I’m glad I have fast reflexes!

      • Here’s hoping FOX News does not find out about your close calls or they will be adding these to the reasons we should fear Mexico and avoid it as a destination.

        • I really need to write an article for Slate or Buzzfeed titled ‘I Went to Mexico and the Most Dangerous Thing I Encountered Was the Explosives In My Kitchen — and the Coconuts.’

  2. Ah, who needs waxing when you have a butane lighter handy. I am curious about the manufacturer of this exploding lighter versus the ones that you use in Canada. The same or different? If different who made the exploding one?

    • I use all manner of different lights. This is one I picked up here in MX. Don’t know the brand, it’s whatever you can pick up at the BBQ section of the grocery store. I really think that the issue is that the counter got super hot from the heat radiating from the pan. I don’t think the lighter per se is to blame.

  3. Glad you are ok. Hot tile really doesn’t work for me; how about a leak in the lighter? If the tiles were that hot wouldn’t you notice? Not to mention that never happens to anyone else. Oh, and I’m calling Fox news to alert them to this new Mexican hazard! LOL Keep up the good work.

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