In "Diamond Dishes," author Julie Loria offers an inside look at how baseball players eat.
Loria spent two years hanging out in players' kitchens, interviewing them about their diets, childhood memories and favorite recipes. The resulting book features more than 60 recipes, profiles and photos of 20 players.
Here are two favorites from Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay.
Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for the ramekins
6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 large eggs plus 3 large yolks
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for the ramekins
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Position rack in center of oven and heat to 425 F. Lightly butter insides of six 1/2-cup ramekins or custard cups. Dust insides with flour, tap out the excess.
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
Beat the eggs, yolks and brown sugar with electric mixer on high until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Add chocolate mixture, sprinkle with the flour, and fold together with a rubber spatula. Divide evenly among ramekins.
Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake until the top of the cake looks set and center still jiggles a little when the baking sheet is shaken, about 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand for 1 minute. Carefully run a dinner knife around the inside of one of the ramekins. Place a dessert plate on top of the ramekin. Invert ramekin and plate together, and give them a firm shake to dislodge and unmold the cake onto the plate. Remove the ramekin. Repeat with remaining ramekins. Serve the cakes at once, with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. Makes 6 servings.
Peanut Butter and Chocolate Shake
1 tablespoon boiling water
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk
1 very ripe banana, peeled, thinly sliced
1/2 cup frozen vanilla yogurt or ice cream
3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
Mix the boiling water and cocoa together in a cup until smooth. Pour into a blender. Add milk, banana, yogurt and peanut butter. Blend, stopping to scrape down the sides and adding more milk as needed to reach the desired thickness, until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and serve immediately. Makes one serving.