As a child, Gianco (the nickname by which he was known to family and friends) wanted to be a cook. Since cooking has never been my "cup of tea" I gladly allowed him to experiment on a stove that had been given to me for Christmas, a little electric marvel equipped with a real oven. He concocted sauces, baked cookies and cakes, which were eminently edible. Perhaps thanks to his childhood practice, Gianco's cooking was always far better than mine.