By showing him how to makeanomelet (or stitch a simple hem), I hoped he would also learn how to be a better man, one who could look after his own needs instead of expecting his girlfriend to do it for him.
Another time, he taught me to load a boule of country bread with the guts of an over-ripe tomato, a stream of olive oil and a thick slice of potato omelet to make the world's best vegetarian sandwich.