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Newman. John had worked with Paul on
Exodus
, so he felt comfortable visiting them all.
    It was a wonderful experience for everyone. I also had the honor of meeting Paul’s wife, Joanne Woodward. I loved that they were living proof that a Hollywood marriage could work.

    One of the first photos John took of me.
    Paul wasn’t only starring in
Sometimes a Great Notion
, he was also directing it—and so well that the film earned Richard Jaeckel an Oscar nomination.
    Paul and I crossed paths again when I was doing the play
Legends
and he agreed to play the voice of Paul Newman, as it had been written years before when Carol Channing and Mary Martin were the stars. Paul made a recording for the show, and it was great fun hearing his voice every night for nine months while we did the play.
    For our next camping trip, John bought an Excalibur, which was styled after the 1928 Mercedes-Benz S convertible tourer. John not only loved driving that car but at night he used it to create these wonderful
Hajji Baba
–style tents for us; each time, making our home away from home a little different, unique, and magical.
    Every campfire became an opportunity to cook together. We’d sit under the stars, sharing stories about our lives that we’d never had time to do before. These were some of the most romantic and intimate moments we’d ever spend together.

The Duke

    O NE OF THE people I had the pleasure of getting to know during my marriage to John Derek was The Duke (John Wayne). He and his lovely wife Pilar would invite us to their home in Newport Beach, then take us aboard Duke’s amazing boat, the
Wild Goose
, which, if I recall correctly, was a converted mine sweeper or some other unusual and massive vessel.
    Often while we were sailing, John and Duke played chess. Duke would drink mezcal (with the worm) and John his usual whole milk. But no matter how much the big man drank, to my John’s chagrin, Duke always checkmated him.
    The Duke’s Favorite Recipes
    Pilar Wayne is a great cook who actually published her own terrific cookbooks. But back when we were fortunate enough to dine with the Waynes, Pilar shared some of Duke’s favorite recipes with us that have become mine, too. Here are two of them.

DUKE’S CRAB DIP
MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS
    2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
    5 tablespoons whole milk
    2 tablespoons dried onions
    1 tablespoon Tabasco
    ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over, any shells discarded
    Preheat oven to 350°F.
    Put the cream cheese in the bowl of your electric mixer. Beat the cream cheese on low, slowly adding the milk. Keeping the mixer on low, add the dried onions, Tabasco, and salt. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the crabmeat by hand.
    Spoon the mixture into a 1½-quart casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until it’s lightly browned on top. Serve warm, with tortilla chips (I make them myself).
    If there is ever any leftover (rare . . .), put it in an omelet.

DUKE’S CRAB DIP OMELET
    One of the great things about making Duke’s Crab Dip is that the next day you can make a terrific omelet with the leftovers. Here’s a simple recipe that I discovered for making an omelet. To my surprise, I have never seen it in any cookbook. The broiler is the trick!
MAKES 1 OMELET
    Small Omelet: 2 eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
    Regular Omelet: 3 eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
    1 teaspoon unsalted butter
    2 to 4 tablespoons Duke’s Crab Dip, at room temperature (page 53)
    Set an oven rack close to the broiler and preheat the broiler.
    In an 8-inch nonstick, broiler-safe omelet pan, melt the butter over medium heat. While the butter is still bubbling, add the beaten eggs.
    Cook until the eggs just start to set on the bottom, and then place the pan under the broiler. Broil just a few seconds, until the top is barely set—don’t look away! It’s preferable to undercook the omelet just a little, as it will