At home, at the cabin, or while camping, the fire is the thing that warms us and brings us together. Time and time again, it helps us brave the winters and smoke our salmon.
This captivating source of heat and light acts like a social lubricant that encourages us to settle in close while we drink a hot tea or share a bottle of sparkling wine. It also acts as a sedative, calming us, increasing our sense of comfort, and helping us to sleep.
A log fire (ideal for heat and the illusion of getting a tan on your face)
- Scrunch up balls of paper and place them in the middle of the firepit.
- Set the kindling up around the paper so as to form a small teepee.
- Light the paper in different places and wait for the kindling to catch.
- Blow gently at the base of the pyramid to feed the flames.
- Slowly add larger and larger logs — but be careful not to smother the fire.
Pyramid fire (ideal for cooking sausages — veggie or non-veggie)
- Scrunch up balls of paper and place them in the middle of the firepit.
- Place the kindling on the paper.
- Lay down two logs, parallel to each other, one on either side of the kindling. Choose two others of the same size and stack these perpendicular to the first two, forming a square.
- Light the paper in the middle.
- Without burning yourself, continue to pile the logs perpendicular to the ones beneath (a little like Jenga).
- Reduce the size of the logs with each level — and the distance between them — to form a sort of chimney.
