After some consideration, we figured out that all we really wanted were some waffles. Normally, we keep pancake mix on hand, so that mixing up a batch of waffles just includes pouring a few ingredients into a bowl and stirring, but we're out of mix. So the 2nd A.B. got to learn how to whip egg whites for Belgian waffles while the First Mate and the First A.B. were ordered out of bed to go gather firewood. Despite a stiff breeze and rather damp weather, we got the fire going with just one match (victory!) and we soon had a nice little blaze going. Then we had to cook the waffles.
The fun thing about cooking waffles over the fire is that all cooking directions instruct you to cook the waffle until the steam stops. Even the directions for the waffle iron say that. Unfortunately, it is kind of tricky to see where the smoke from the fire leaves off and the steam begins. So it's kind of a guessing game. This is especially true if it is not a particularly stable fire, as the cooking time will vary with the amount of flames you have at the moment, so there's no point in trying to figure out the perfect amount of time.
And honestly, after you stand in forty degree weather cooking waffles over a fire for an hour, they taste really, really good, even if they aren't perfectly cooked.
