"Yeah, I am," he says, looking almost surprised -- people rarely ask him that, they simply assume (correctly), and often approach it in a derogatory way. He's used to it, and it doesn't bother him, not anymore, but the fact that Ned simply seems curious rather than judgmental strikes him as interesting. "Are you?" Maybe that's why Ned is asking; maybe he's looking for some kind of shared connection.

"It's not just bread, it's cooking in general; I'd like to learn to do something useful. I like to have something to keep me busy. This seemed like a more productive interest than many."

Keeping his hands busy also keeps him from reaching for his cigarettes, and with not much of the pack he'd arrived with left, he doesn't want to smoke unless he absolutely has to.