Frank liked the idea Ariel enjoyed the dish as a reminder of home as much as something new to experience in the human world. He still couldn't imagine how she would look as a half-fish person, but did it really matter? Ariel was human in Madison Valley and she was enjoying herself. He had a feeling she'd prefer to stay human which worried him since that wasn't likely to be possible was it?
"I ate dried seaweed before. I thought it tasted like salty paper. I don't guess you get to eat anything dry in Atlantica? The idea of being in the water all the time is a lot for me. Never had issues with space. I just don't like the idea of drowning."
Fire wasn't possible under the water -obviously- though heat was available in the deepest reaches of the ocean where the trenches sank into the Earth's core.
SEALs were trained to deep dive; Frank had been through a SpecOps training similar to the BUD/S course and he remembered trying to stay calm on a dive while his body felt as if it was catching fire in his dive suit. It was possible Ariel was familiar with hot dishes though. That was what Frank could take away from his own life experiences with the ocean.
"You like cold food or hot food better now? I don't know if I cook enough to keep you healthy though you eat just fine. You seem a lot easier to feed than most human girls your age. I know I'm grateful for that. Got no fu---idea what I'd do if I had a teenage girl on my watch and the only things she'd eat were made out of air. Way I see it? You and me work good together. Glad you feel the same as I do on that."