Recipes for Life by Linda Evans Read Free Book Online Page A

same results. The recipe easily doubles or triples for large gatherings. You can also replace the artichokes with 7 ounces of lump crabmeat for a delicious variation.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
    1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
    ½ cup mayonnaise
    1 teaspoon Tabasco (or more, to taste)
    1½ tablespoons thinly sliced scallions (white part only)
    ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (I prefer Parmigiano-Reggiano)
    1 (13¾-ounce) can artichoke bottoms (not hearts), drained and finely diced
    Preheat oven to 350°F.
    With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the mayonnaise. One by one, blend in the Tabasco sauce, scallions, and Parmesan.
    Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the artichokes (don’t use the mixer for this).
    Spoon the mixture into a 3-cup baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with crackers.

Far from Evil but Scary as Hell

    B ECAUSE OF HIS love of beauty and photography, John became a brilliant cinematographer, something he learned from Russell Harlan, one of the best cinematographers in the business. Russ was nominated for an Oscar for
To Kill a Mockingbird
and two John Wayne classics,
Red River
and
Hatari!
(one of the reasons my John and John Wayne became friends). Russ was like a second father to John and John named his son Russell in his honor.
    News of John’s ability with a camera somehow found its way to Evel Knievel, the motorcycle daredevil. Evel was getting ready to do his most challenging jump ever at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and wanted John to shoot it, so he invited us to come.
    John agreed. He also agreed to shoot with two cameras, which meant I would be operating one of them. John had taught me over the years how to shoot a still camera, but now I was about to get a crash course in motion picture photography.
    The night before the shoot, we arrived in Vegas to have dinner with Evel. He could not have been nicer, more gracious, or more forthcoming; to the point, Evel admitted that he did not believe he could actually make the jump.
    John and I were stunned. John asked, “Then why the hell are you going to do it?”
    Evel said that he had given his word; people had flown in from all over the world to see him, so he felt he had a responsibility to do it.
    We did everything we could to try and talk him out of it, but he’d made up his mind. John said he didn’t want anything to do with it. He wouldn’t do business with a man who knew he probably wouldn’tmake it. But since it was impossible to replace John at this point, he agreed to shoot it, give him the film, and have nothing more to do with his insanity.
    John and I went back to our room and I told him there was no way I could sleep knowing what might happen. John said that neither of us would be getting any sleep because we had to rethink our plan. John had expected to be on the camera with the long lens, because it was the most challenging. But now we realized Evel might not complete the jump, and I might not be able to pan with him as he sailed through the air or if—God forbid—he didn’t make it. John was determined to give Evel what he wanted, so he had to give me a crash course in how to operate the camera and pull focus with the long lens. Neither of us slept at all that night.
    The next day, we set up our cameras at Caesars Palace. One look and we understood why Evel didn’t think he could make it: two jump ramps were set on either side of the palace fountains, 141 feet apart. It was absolutely insane, but at this point all we could do was take our positions and pray.
    John set up my camera on a tripod at the far end of the jump, the idea being that if Evel made it all the way, I’d be set up to have him in the shot as he was landing on the ramp. The challenge would be keeping him in focus as he was riding straight for me.
    John took the side view so he would have to pan along, always keeping Evel in the frame.
    At last, it was time for the big event. John signaled me to