I NEVER FORGET A MEAL: An Indulgent Reminiscence

Portrait of the actor as a young gourmand. Tucker, a.k.a. Stuart Markowitz on LA Law, recalls the savory brisket sandwiches he ate the summer he worked for his Uncle Benny in the jewelry business; the meal he thought would be his last when the Cuban missile crisis broke out: a lavish steak dinner with all the trimmings; and his cheesesteak romance with wife Jill Eikenberry (""a sordid tale that mixes some of the worst aspects of lust and gluttony""). Along the way is a generous smattering of recipes, Tucker's own and those of friends, from Maryland crab cakes to chicken marengo to a ""labor-inducing hoagie"" (it worked for his first wife) and ""David's Duckies"" (from cookbook author David Liederman). A charming ramble through Tucker's life and career as actor, eater, and chef, that offers these words of wisdom: ""There are only a finite number of meals left in life--don't waste one.