But on the whole, Wingy was against sauces, as well as com- 

 panionship. Both cloyed the appetite, he felt, except on rare occa- 

 sions. He was a skillful and simple man, and the seasons when we 

 couldn't hire him on as cook were generally sorrowful. 



II 



In all the years I knew Wingy Jones, he never struck a match 

 till his fire was laid and his pots containing water and other con- 

 tents hanging over it on the ingenious cranes and dingle sticks 

 he constructed for the purpose. His rule: Light your fire under 

 the kettles. Never hang the kettles over the lighted fire! 



With the following list of outdoor cooking equipment, which 

 was Wingy's choice, you can do wonders for six people. 



Nest of three pots, with covers and bails. (The smaller, or 

 inside pot, is for tea and coffee, the other two for vegetables or 

 stew.) Broiler, or grill. One 1 2-inch frying pan, collapsible han- 

 dle. A collapsible reflector baker, or oven. Six aluminum or 

 enamelware plates and cups. A partitioned cloth bag with pock- 

 ets to hold six knives, forks, spoons, a long cooking fork and 

 spoon, and a can opener. A bag with pockets to hold seasoning in 

 screw-top metal containers: garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano, 

 herb blend, celery and parsley flakes, and a small jar of cooking 

 oil or olive oil. This equipment, with but few substitutions or 

 additions, helped assuage some of the most exacting and rave- 

 nous appetites of Wingy's career. 



Canned vegetables are at least slightly cooked before they 

 reach you. To avoid overcooking and to preserve flavor, fresh- 

 ness, and crispness, follow this recipe: Heat a pot of water to 

 boiling. Open the can of vegetables, leave the lid bent down as a 

 cover, and leave the vegetable in the can in its juice. Place can 

 and contents in the pot of hot water to a depth which just doesn't 

 allow water to spill into the vegetables. Place the pot aside, near 

 the fire to keep warm. When the rest of the meal is ready, the 

 vegetable will be thoroughly heated. Serve it hot from the can 

 after draining excess juices and adding a pinch of salt and a dab 

 of butter. 



"3 



