Home run for gourmets

The Mets may not be burning up the base paths every night, but “GourMets,” the New York Mets Family Cookbook, is selling like hotcakes.
Proceeds from project, sponsored by the Mets and Stop & Shop Supermarkets, will support the hunger relief efforts of two notable local charities, the Food Bank for New York City and Island Harvest.
The 56-page, spiral-bound collection of clubhouse favorites and recipes from players, team personnel and their families, is printed on heavy, coated paper to resist spills, and lays flat for easy reading in the kitchen.
Complete with pictures of players and coaches as cooks, the full-color booklet offers 47 recipes, as well as general tips for healthy eating and exercise provided by Mets nutrition and fitness consultant, Sharon R. Akabas.
During spring training, Mets players and coaches took part in a photo shoot for the cookbook, taking turns in front of the camera sporting blue & orange aprons and posing with cooking utensils.
The books are on sale at New York area Stop & Shop stores, Mets Clubhouse Shops, the Mets Team Store at Shea Stadium and online at www.Mets.com, at $12 each.