Diamond Dishes: From the Kitchens of Baseball's Biggest Stars    by Julie Loria Order:  USA  Can Lyons Press, 2011 (2011) Hardcover     Reviewed by Bob Walch Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, Josh Hamilton, Miguel Cabrera and Chase Utley are all very successful and highly paid athletes. You might consult these professional baseball players about fielding, base stealing or hitting, but cooking? Probably not! Yet these men all enjoy eating as much as playing their favorite sport. And, more to the point, they don't mind sharing some of their favorite recipes in this cookbook. As you page through this book and enjoy the color photography and anecdotes the players featured here volunteer, don't dismiss the good eats that are at the core of what this is all about. They may have gotten the recipes from their mothers, sisters, girlfriends or wives, but that doesn't make them any less interesting. In fact, you could easily impress your friends and family alike by putting together a baseball meal from what you find within these pages. In fact, let's try just that! We'll begin by whipping up some of Adrian Gonzalez's Guacamole Gonzales as an appetizer. For starters, let's try the Cobb Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette suggested by Ryan Howard and perhaps a side of Derek Jeter's Flaky Southern Biscuits. For the main course we'll make All-American Lasagna, Joe Mauer's specialty. Dessert will either be Triple Chocolate Brownies, one of Hanley Ramirez's favorites, or Paul Konerko's Triple-Layer Carrot Cake. If red wine with your meal isn't to your liking, perhaps a glass of Roy Halladay's Perfect Green Tea or a Berry Protein Smoothie from Dustin Pedroia would hit the spot. If you want to nudge dad into the kitchen and see if he can help occasionally with the cooking chores, this might be just the cookbook to give him. After looking at what these baseball pros whip up in their spare time, perhaps some evening you'll hear the cry of Viva Baseball! and Bon appétit! issue forth above the clatter of pans in your kitchen! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews