Diamond Dishes
From the Kitchens of Baseball's Biggest Stars
Julie Loria
Now that baseball season is underway, hungry fans en route to the ballpark will be eagerly anticipating their orders of hot dogs, peanuts, and Cracker Jack. But that’s not necessarily the food you’d find on the pre-game dinner plates of some of baseball’s biggest stars. Before Ryan Howard of the Phillies heads off to the stadium, for instance, he might well tuck into a nice cobb salad with balsamic shallot vinaigrette. The Florida Marlins’ Evan Longoria enjoys a bowl of Ukrainian vegetable soup, which he makes from his grandfather’s family recipe. Albert Pujols, the St. Louis Cardinals slugger, loves to make Dominican beans and rice, followed by crème brulee, which he expertly carmelizes with a handheld butane kitchen torch. (See a video of Pujols wielding his torch, as well as the other players cooking in their kitchens, here.) All of this hard to picture? Then get a copy of Julie Loria’s “Diamond Dishes: From the Kitchens of Baseball’s Biggest Stars”—a ra
re, behind-the-scenes look into the kitchens of 20 of Major League Baseball’s biggest stars, as they reveal their favorite recipes—more than 60 in all—and share their stories about everything from memorable meals growing up to their current exercise routines, food rituals, and guilty late night snacks. An official Major League Baseball publication, “Diamond Dishes” includes more than 100 exclusive, full-color photos of the stars at home and in their kitchens—like this shot of Alex Rodriguez at his kitchen island holding—no, not a ballpark frank—but a handful of kale, which he uses to make baked kale chips. Who knew?
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The 1986 Masters
How Jack Nicklaus Roared Back to Win
John Boyette; Includes an Introductory Interview with Jack Nicklaus
The Masters is golf’s most storied championship, and one tournament in particular stands out for featuring arguably the greatest final round ever played—the 1986 Masters. At the age of 46, Jack Nicklaus was considered by some to be finished as a championship golfer. After a slow start, the Golden Bear got in the hunt during the weekend, and he played the final nine holes in a 6-under-par 30. Eclipsing a field of the sport’s top names, Nicklaus mounted a spectacular come-from-behind victory that secured his 18th major championship and his sixth Masters, making him the tournament’s oldest winner in history. On the 25th anniversary of perhaps the most exciting Masters ever played, The 1986 Masters gives a nearly hole-by-hole account written by John Boyette, a veteran sports journalist, who was there. The book features more than 50 rare photographs, as well interviews with the key figures connected to the 1986 Masters—including Jack Nicklaus.
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Jackpot
High Times, High Seas, and the Sting That Launched the War on Drugs
Jason Ryan
“Jackpot,” author Jason Ryan’s rollicking chronicle of the exploits (and ultimate downfall at the hands of the feds) of a group of Southern pot smugglers in the 1970s and early 1980s, may not hit bookstores until April, but the book is already tasting critical success. Says Publishers Weekly: “Ryan writes a thoroughly researched account of Operation Jackpot, the drug investigation that ended the reign of South Carolina's ‘gentlemen smugglers,’ marijuana kingpins who kick-started Reagan's war on drugs. … Rather than a comprehensive survey of marijuana and hashish smuggling in the 1970s and '80s, his book profiles personalities, focusing on ‘a few talented smugglers’ and their wild exploits, such as a 1976 incident in the Florida Keys when the approach of police caused smugglers to scatter, sending a 65-foot sport fishing yacht with 15,000 pounds of marijuana on autopilot toward Cuba ‘never to be seen by the smugglers again.’ … Ryan recreates the era with a vivid, sun-drenched intensity.” And Kirkus calls “Jackpot” a “well-told tale of true crime that provides a few good arguments for why it should not be a crime at all.” So when does this book about a bunch of fun-loving pot smugglers release? Why, 4/20, of course (wink, wink).
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