Secret Indulgences

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Doc Severinsen, musician, first principal pops conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra and former “Tonight Show” music director:

“I just did that last week. I’d been out on the road and when I came home my wife put me to bed around 5, brought in a huge bowl of spaghetti and then set out a little box of chocolates and we watched about two or three old Bing Crosby movies. Oh, and I had all my dogs and cats with me--two dogs and four cats. My wife drew the line at letting the parrot in.

Chris Douridas, actor, host of KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic.”

“It’s watching ‘Beverly Hills 90210.’ I watched the first few shows and it hooked me. And the show’s been progressively worse, but I’m still there with the characters. I relate a little to Jason Priestly’s character.

“I grew up with sisters, I was the only boy in the family. And I think he’s got a good heart. This is a guilty pleasure my wife and I share. We’re completely embarrassed that we like it.”

Kathy Kaehler, personal trainer, “The Kathy Kaehler Fitness System” video:

My guilty pleasure is a fantasy, really, of food--eating food from the ‘50s for breakfast, lunch and dinner--like pancakes with butter and syrup. Lunch would be a Reuben sandwich and fries, and for dinner mashed potatoes with butter and fried chicken and corn on the cob. If I really did it, by 9 that night I would be in such a state of guilt I don’t know if I’d make it to the morning.”

R. Scott Hitt, MD, partner, Pacific Oaks Medical Group:

“I’m fairly politically involved, and one of the things that gives me guilty pleasure is putting coins in those return envelopes from politicians I don’t like who are usually requesting money. The envelope is heavier and it costs a lot more money in postage when they get it back.”

Tony Hipp, executive chef of The Grill and The Daily Grill restaurants:

“I would say it’s our hot fudge cheesecake. I don’t indulge in it that often. I can’t afford it, with all the tasting and all that. We have five restaurants and I have to taste a lot of stuff, so I really have to watch it.”

Ernie Hudson, actor, appeared in recent ABC miniseries “Wild Palms”:

“It would be shopping for and buying real estate. There’s something about land, about having a really nice house that you can rent out. But I’m starting to feel a little guilty about it. . . . The first thing I do when I’m traveling is look for a little home. I was in North Carolina--now I know I’m not going to live in North Carolina--but the first thing I do is go shopping. I was in Wyoming and found a little place, and I’ve never gone back. There’s a place in Wisconsin and one in Minnesota. Some day I’ll get out of this and sell some. It comes out of a lack of having--you want to own something.”