From PEOPLE Magazine Click to enlarge
Among his many gifts, John Stamos has one that comes in particularly handy at home. The 38-year-old actor, who's married to supermodel-actress Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and stars as a master criminal turned FBI crime fighter in ABC's new Thieves, is an accomplished cook—shrimp scampi over pasta is a specialty. "I do it basically out of necessity," he says. "Rebecca can't even boil water." She doesn't have to. During their 1998 wedding, "he vowed he would always cook for me," says Romijn-Stamos, 29. "He's kept his promise. I'm very happy about that."

Lately, though, it's been strictly room service for the couple. They're staying in a hotel while overseeing construction of a home and two guest nouses on a ranch outside L.A., not far from where Stamos grew up. The former teen idol, who played Blackie Parrish on ABC's General Hospital from 1982 to 1984, and Uncle Jesse on ABC's Full House from 1987 to 1995, looks forward to the project's completion so he and his wife can resume entertaining, a favorite activity. Meanwhile, they've been thinking about what would make their new place inviting to guests. They've already purchased an entrance sign to Disneyland, one of the couple's favorite places and the site of their first date. But apart from the decor, "Rebecca wants a llama," says the 6-ft. Stamos. "And I want a shrimp farm. We'll have people over and I'll say, 'Want some shrimp?' Then I'll ride the llama over to the shrimp tank, and everything will be right there."