Recipes for Life (23 page)

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for greasing

3 cups fresh corn kernels (from 4 to 5 ears)

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

9 ounces Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes

½ cup cornmeal

1 (4-ounce) can whole green chiles, seeded, patted dry, and cut into ½-inch pieces

1½ teaspoons salt

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (I prefer Parmigiano-Reggiano)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 2-quart rectangular casserole dish.

In a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup of the corn kernels with the melted butter and eggs.

In a large bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients except the Parmesan. Add the pureed corn and blend well. Pour into the prepared dish, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and bake 30 minutes, until puffed and golden. (If the top isn’t browned but the pudding looks set, run it under a preheated broiler for a couple minutes until golden spots appear.)

O
NE OF THE
best parts of having a long-running show was that the producers needed to keep adding fresh characters, which meant we got the opportunity to work with more great talents. Ali MacGraw came in at the same time that Rock Hudson joined the cast of
Dynasty
. The producers expected both to generate a lot of excitement and press.

I’d met Rock Hudson years before, when I was married to John Derek and did a guest spot on
McMillan & Wife.
Susan Saint James played Rock’s wife on the show, but they brought me in as a way to test the character’s moral fiber. His character passed with honors, but Rock decided to use the situation to play a joke on the director and crew—if I was game. Once I heard his plan, I couldn’t resist.

We were filming inside a train, making for very cramped quarters, but perfect for his practical joke. Rock and I were alone in one of the little compartments waiting for the next scene. Just as the door opened, he threw me down on the pullout bed and kissed me for the longest time. The director and everyone else were so shocked they tried to back out and shut the door until they heard Rock and I finally burst out laughing. My God, could he kiss!

Rock and I got on famously, so over the years, we’d always be happy when we’d run into each other socially—like the time on Bunky’s birthday, when Rock just happened to be at the same restaurant and joined the party. That was the night that Bunky laughed so hard she wet her pants. Truth. (Later, when I refused to let her sit on the leather seats of my precious Mercedes for the ride home, she simply stuck her naked rear end out the car window. Unfortunately, her dangling posterior soon attracted some young boys on Sunset Boulevard that thought we
were soliciting them, so they started following us. When Bunky told me to “give them the slip,” I turned a little too sharply and she nearly flew out the window. (The good news: we did lose the boys.)

After that night, I didn’t see Rock again until he joined the cast of
Dynasty
. The producers wanted to spice things up by having Krystle and Blake cheat on each other, but John and I had agreed over the years to fight for our characters’ integrity. The producers hired Ali MacGraw to entice Blake and Rock to tempt Krystle, saying the affairs were going to be fantastic for the ratings. John and I agreed it would be great—just not with our characters.

We found a compromise: I would be thrown from my horse in front of Rock’s character and he’d rush over and take me into his arms. Then while Krystle was still dazed, Rock would passionately kiss her. It would happen at the very end of the episode, so everyone would think that he’d won her over at last.

However, when we actually shot the scene, instead of passionately kissing me, Rock just barely brushed his lips over mine and then backed away. The director yelled “Cut!” and we tried it again. It was exactly the same. So the director took Rock aside, explained the scene to him again and we tried it again, but Rock did exactly the same thing.

The director then tried asking me to help make the kiss more passionate. I explained that I couldn’t without compromising Krystle’s character. We shot the scene several more times, but always with the same lack of passion. They finally gave up and let us go home, but I knew the producers still weren’t satisfied.

Weeks later, they decided that they were going to reshoot the scene, which they rarely ever did because it was so expensive. But this was the big season teaser, so we went back out on location and tried it again. And again, it was the same thing: Rock just wouldn’t
really
kiss me.

I knew from my experience in the train compartment during my stint at
McMillan & Wife
how passionately Rock could kiss. Why Rock refused to kiss me the same way on
Dynasty
became painfully clear when the news broke that he had AIDS. In retrospect, it was incredibly touching how hard he tried to protect me. No matter how much the director and producers pressed, he refused to put me at risk, because in those days so little was known about the disease.

Rock was a beautiful man inside and out.

When the truth about Rock’s condition came out, it ignited a wild-fire in the press. The cover of every tabloid and even some respectable magazines questioned whether Rock’s kiss had given me AIDS.

The entire incident sparked a new awareness in me. It was tragic to see what fear can do to people. It became a media circus. In my heart, I knew Rock had protected me. I did what I could to support him. It all made me profoundly sad.

Later, after Rock passed, his good friend Elizabeth Taylor invited me to be a presenter at the launch of her HIV/AIDS foundation. That evening we had a chance to talk about what a remarkable man Rock Hudson had been.

While I was doing
Dynasty
, unbeknownst to me, Clairol ran a contest to learn who America’s favorite blonde was at the time. Lucky for me, it was me. Clairol turned out to be one of the most exceptional companies I’ve ever been associated with.

One of my responsibilities as the spokesperson for Ultress was to present the check from Clairol to the winner of the U.S. Open Women’s Singles tennis tournament in New York. Every year, Clairol was generous enough to let me use their private jet and invite family and close friends. They even arranged for the hotel. It was a magical time for everyone who went on these trips. All anyone had to do was show up at the private airport on time—which was always a problem for my beloved agent, Greeny. One trip, knowing he would be late as usual, Bunky devised one of her infamous practical jokes to be played on Michael during the flight.

While everyone waited for Michael, Bunky briefed the group. She had bought and wrapped birthday gifts and made out cards for each of them to give to me. Now, it was August and my birthday isn’t until November, but since we knew Michael relied on Bunky to tell him when it was my birthday and what to get me, we knew he’d fall for it.

Midway through the flight, after a sumptuous lunch, Bunky hatched her plan. As the candled cake was presented to me, everyone yelled “Surprise!” pulled out their gifts, and sang “Happy Birthday”—and they somehow managed not to crack up when they saw Michael’s jaw drop. He, of course, was furious with Bunky for not telling him that it was my birthday.

We kept the charade going as long as we could, but eventually everyone started laughing, including Michael once he realized what was going on. Actually, he was so relieved he hadn’t forgotten my birthday he nearly forgave Bunky. Nearly. As always, Michael vowed revenge, but took it like a good sport.

What he didn’t know was that Bunky was not finished with the tricks on this trip. Not even close. Later, Bunky convinced the president of Clairol to stick Michael with the dinner check for over twenty of us at Le Cirque, one of the finest, most expensive restaurants in Manhattan. The shock on his face was so intense I couldn’t stand it and had to end the joke sooner than Bunky wanted.

Strangely enough, Michael loves these games with Bunky. He knows she never wastes a drop of her devious genius on anyone unless she adores them. The harder Bunky plots against you, the more she loves you. So it is an honor to become a target in her laser sight. Clearly, Michael is
very
loved by her.

Bunky thinks of Michael as a pit bull on the outside but soft inside. He loves chocolate, so here’s a favorite I have cooked for him many times to match his sweet heart.

This soothing baked dessert combines a smooth custardy bottom layer with a very tender soufflélike top. It tastes like warm, soft, puffy brownies mixed up with chocolate custard sauce; this sums it up rather nicely, I think. Souffléd puddings are old-fashioned American desserts. In some old regional cookbooks they are called puffed puddings or just puffs. I appreciate Nancy Baggett for giving me this fabulous recipe from her book
The International Chocolate Cookbook
.

1¾ cups heavy (whipping) cream

4½ ounces bittersweet (
NOT
sweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped into ¼ inch pieces

1 cup whole milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened

⅔ cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 large egg, plus 4 large egg yolks

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

2½ teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large egg whites, completely free of yolks

⅛ teaspoon salt

¼ cup granulated sugar

Lightly sweetened whipped cream for garnish (optional)

Position a rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°.

Generously grease a 2½-quart casserole or soufflé dish. Set out a baking pan large enough to hold the casserole.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat bring cream just to a boil. Immediately remove from heat. Pour ¼ cup cream over chocolate in a small deep bowl, stirring until chocolate partially melts and mixture is well blended. Stir in a ¼ cup more cream until chocolate completely melts and mixture is smooth. Stir chocolate mixture back into remaining cream until smoothly incorporated. Slowly stir milk into cream mixture until well blended and smooth.

In a large mixer bowl with mixer set on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar for 2 or 3 minutes until very light and fluffy.