Being married to a physicist can be interesting at times. Crazy-long equations cover the back of envelopes and stacks of scientific papers with titles incomprehensible to mere mortals are scattered on the desks, tables, and really any horizontal surface. My husband, Prof Pep, has spent decades dreaming and thinking and then creating and building equipment to explore and test his ideas. Little is thrown away in our house; it either makes its way into the garage or into his campus lab. That piece of metal I found on my morning walk? Perfect size for ___ (fill in the blank). The pantyhose that is no longer in vogue (thank heavens)? Perfect windsock to determine winds when flying the methane-sniffing drone.
Prof Pep is a climate scientist and has advocated solar energy for decades. He was a faculty sponsor of his university’s Sunrayce team – a nation-wide race where college students design and build solar-powered cars and then navigate a multi-day race. Years after the race, his interest in the field has not waned. He has built all sorts of solar-powered contraptions around the house. Everything from a solar-powered pump for the pond to a solar-powered heater for the hillbilly hot tub which is quite the contraption. (When I said being married to a physicist can be interesting, I wasn’t joking.)
So, I was not surprised at Prof Pep’s double joy when a favorite cousin sent a box of crab cakes for my birthday. They were fresh from Maryland and were packed in an insulated box nestled within another box and ice packs. The crab cakes were absolutely sublime: softball-sized mounds of delectable crab and seasoned breading. A memorable birthday dinner! They were perfect and the mere thought of them induces a longing for more.
After the crab cakes were gone, the insulated box lived on. When I had opened the outer box and took out the inner, insulated box, I saw wheels spinning in Prof Pep’s head and realized this box was not destined for the trash can. No, this box was going to enjoy a new life as the centerpiece of a solar oven. We had been looking at solar ovens but prices were steep, and Prof Pep knew he could build one; he just needed the impetus. Enter the crab-cake box! The insulated box was the core of the contraption that included at least one roll of aluminum foil, much tape, pieces of the outer box reconstructed to reflect sunlight into the insulated box, and a black pot to conduct and retain heat. I found him rummaging through my kitchen cabinets, looking at pots and muttering, “No, too big” or “This might work if I cut off the handle.” An intervention was called for! I must draw the line somewhere, so I removed my beloved pot from his hand and suggested he raid the camping bins where he happened to find just the right-sized, black pot with a lid!
He experimented with the layout of the outer box and the angle of the extensions he had constructed with it. He had to play with the pitch of the oven to collect sunlight to generate enough heat to actually cook something. This was set up in the driveway to avoid the prowling muzzles and beaks of various backyard critters. After trying different designs, he boiled water! Like a child discovering something new, he sat back on his heels and grinned at the water boiling in his solar oven. Next came food. Nachos to be exact. Chips covered with shredded cheese, chopped onions, and hot peppers. He compiled his nachos in the pot and set it into the solar oven in the driveway, then let the sun do the rest. Before long, the cheese had melted and the veggies had softened. Driveway nachos were born! They were delicious and a source of curiosity for at least one neighbor who was dubious about the contraption until she ate some nachos.
Driveway nachos are now a hit! On a sunny day, you might find Prof Pep rummaging through the refrigerator gathering the ingredients for his driveway nachos. Sometimes he adds beans. Sometimes tomatoes from the garden. Sometimes his famous hot sauce. They are gooey and spicey and delicious – the way nachos should be – and are made courtesy of the sun! And, when not in use, the contraption takes its place in the garage – along with other contraptions, or other things that might contribute to a contraption someday. No, we do not park cars in the garage. Who does that?
Pepper November, 2026
P.S. A note from Pixie, I have had such driveway nachos and they were THE BEST EVER!!
