Recipes for Life (27 page)

W
HILE
I
WAS
with Richard, I had to go to Madrid for work, so Bunky and Armando came with us. We stayed at the Ritz, a very old, classically elegant hotel. They gave us the most enormous, extraordinary two-bedroom suite any of us had ever seen. Richard and I stayed in one bedroom; Bunky stayed in the second bedroom, which felt like a half a block away from ours—that’s how big the suite was. Armando had yet another room next door to Bunky, but they weren’t adjoining.

Early every morning, still in our pajamas, we’d sneak down the hall to Armando’s room to get hair and makeup done, hoping not to run into anyone. Regardless of our efforts to be invisible, the housekeepers walked in and caught us in our pajamas with Armando. Thinking we were “together,” they started turning down both beds in his room. We had a good laugh over it.

One day, Bunky was in her bedroom watching TV when she heard knocking. She went to the door but there was no one there. She suddenly thought she heard Armando’s voice inside her room, but she knew that was impossible. But then she heard it again, “Bunky over here!” Completely perplexed, she followed his voice to a big antique armoire against the wall. She opened it to find a grinning Armando standing in her closet. He’d obviously discovered some ancient secret passage used by wealthy nobles for secrets trysts, back in the day. The good news was we didn’t have to worry about being seen in the halls in our pajamas anymore.

One evening, after a very long day of work, we decided to have a casual dinner in our suite. Richard and I just wanted to kick back in our jeans, so needless to say we were floored when Bunky suddenly sauntered out of her bedroom, looking like she’d borrowed one of Jean Harlow’s silk nightgowns from the 1930s. While we just stared, she moved to the fruit bowl and selected two oranges to add to her already ample cleavage. But given the Harlow-esque style of the gown, they had a life of their own, swinging around, not always in the same direction.

Bunky in Madrid—Ole!

While Richard and I were doubled over laughing, our dinner was brought in by a parade of waiters, all in black tie, each carrying a silverdomed dish (clearly sent to make sure “Mrs. Carrington” was well taken care of).

So there we were, Richard and I in our jeans and Bunky in her gown with the two oranges (which she propped, one at a time, on the table), while the poor waiters pretended not to stare.

Richard was laughing so hard he had tears running down his face as the waiters served us and then politely departed—no doubt to report that Mrs. Carrington and her friends weren’t exactly what they had been expecting.

It was a truly outrageous evening. I seem to have them when I visit Spain. I love Spanish food, particularly their pork dishes. I remember during another trip to Madrid, I tried to order one of my favorites, but this time it came to the table with the hoof attached. Clearly my Spanish needs help. Somehow, I managed to work my way around it and still enjoy the meal.

O
NE OF THE
great joys of doing
Dynasty
was all the amazing invitations we’d receive. Obviously there wasn’t enough time to accept them all, but one year we got one that was irresistible and, better yet, for a worthy cause. Prince Charles was participating in a polo match and luncheon to benefit a wonderful charity. Everything about the event sounded fabulous.

John Forsythe and I were asked to each donate a personal item for the auction. I decided to give one of the jackets John and I had made for the cast and crew for Christmas the previous year. They were very simple black jackets with
Dynasty
written in red on them, but everyone loved them.

So John and Julie and Richard and I flew to England. It was the first time I had the pleasure of meeting Prince Charles, whom I found to be charismatic and a real Prince Charming, as well as a heck of a polo player.

It was a magical day. The polo was thrilling and luncheon wonderful. Then it was time to begin the auction and I suddenly realized how emotionally attached I was to that silly, sweet little
Dynasty
jacket of mine. But I thought it would be in bad taste to bid on my own donation, so I just reminded myself it was going to a good cause.

The bidding began and very quickly it climbed higher and higher, which made me feel better knowing it was making a lot of money for the charity. But then I saw Richard raise his hand and join in the bidding. I was deeply touched when I realized he was trying to get it back for me. But then the bidding went so high it was outrageous and I asked him to stop, but the man was on a mission. It escalated into a bidding
war, because across the room it appeared that someone was equally passionate to have my jacket at any cost. We couldn’t see who was bidding against us, so of course the other bidder couldn’t see Richard either. This was lucky for the charity, because the other dear heart trying to win my jacket back for me was John.

Everybody wins—me the most!

O
NE OF THE
most memorable trips was when I was invited to have tea with the queen. But when I arrived, it wasn’t exactly how I imagined it would be, since there were about a hundred other people besides the queen and me. When I entered the room, the orchestra started playing the
Dynasty
theme. Suddenly, everyone, including the Queen of England, stopped and turned to stare at me. I was so caught off guard and so embarrassed, I felt like diving under the nearest table to hide—but it was the queen’s table, so that really wasn’t an option. 197

Greeting her Majesty the Queen.

During my stay in London to visit the queen, I discovered a wonderful butternut squash salad. My friend Bunky loves butternut squash, so when I came home, I decided to try out my own version of this yummy dish. After testing and refining, I have finally come up with a salad I love.

1 cup Marcona almonds (these are my favorite but any almonds will do)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

1 large butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, cleaned, and cut into ¾-inch cubes

1 small red onion, finely diced (about ½ cup)

¼ teaspoon seasoned salt (I use Lawry’s Garlic Salt)

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch of cayenne, to taste

7 cups mixed salad greens

¾ to 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

DRESSING (I LIKE TO MAKE A LOT, USE TO TASTE)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 tablespoons pure grade A maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Toss the almonds with a tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and paprika. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on the nuts as they burn easily; when toasted, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Put the squash and onion in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and toss with the seasoned salt, cumin, onion and garlic powder, and cayenne. When ready to cook, place in a baking dish, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and roast for about 15 to 20 minutes, just until tender. Stir halfway through for even browning.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Put the salad greens in a large bowl, add dressing to taste, and toss well.

Divide greens between six plates. Top with squash, almonds, and feta cheese. Serve immediately.