Any tips for using a Rayburn in a holiday cottage?

[MummyToOneForNow]

I've just spotted that the cottage we're going to be staying in on holiday from next weekend has a wood-fired Rayburn (plus a combination microwave/grill) for cooking on.

Give the weather at the moment (hot!) we're going to want to run it for the miniumum amount of time. I have never used one before - any tips on how to use it or recipes that we can try (suitable for a largely vegetarian couple (sometimes eat fish) and toddler)? Do you have to light it ages before you want to cook? Think we might need to borrow a microwave cookery book from the library

Have re-read property details and Rayburn isn't wood-fired (that was the stove in the living room which I don't think we'll be using!). Would still like tips on using the Rayburn though...

Any advice? I'm hoping there will be instructions etc but can you pretty much cook things like pasta/rice as normal on the top plates? How do you convert recipes or do you not need to?

There should be instructions - we've had one a couple of times.

As far as I can remember you have to open vents to heat the oven. Like 'proper' cookers they do seem to vary a bit.

It is just a case of lifting the lid to use the hob though. Fill the pan, put it on, dead simple.

You will be an expert by the end of the week - either that or you will have eaten out a lot!!

Happy holidays.

thanks - just panicked slightly when I was looking through the details - might try to find a suitable cookbook in the library to take for ideas just in case.