"Maybe you'd do better over a fire like this," he smiles. "I always burn things in the oven, but I don't have nearly as much trouble over an open flame. Probably because that's how I learned."

He really isn't much of a cook, but he's not as bad as he claims to be, when it comes down to it. He can make simple, hearty fare good enough to keep his students full, anyway. "If I had marshmallows, I'd offer to let you toast some over the fire. That'd be good practice."