Great Uncle Jules had volunteered for many years at Solar Cookers International. We scoured the SCI website for cooker designs, and in the process learned about and became inspired by their mission to spread the use of solar cooking in areas where sun is abundant and cooking fuel is scarce. We were drawn in by the idea that this simple cooking device could help to address so many social issues, from the health risks of in-door cooking fires to the threat of rape and murder for women forced to scour the landscape in search of fuel, to the economic and social empowerment possible for those who make a business of crafting and selling solar cookers. It was clear how powerful solar cooking is in these humanitarian contexts. Our question was what power could it have for us? Could solar cooking e