[Photographs: Lucy Baker]

We're having a moment of meatball obsession. With the return to comfort cooking, honest, straightforward dishes are popping up in restaurants, home kitchens, and the leading food magazines. The Meatball Shop—a restaurant devoted entirely to the juicy, tender orbs—recently opened to much anticipation on Manhattan's Lower East Side. In January, Bon Appetit published a cover story with recipes for everything from pork meatball banh mi to lamb kofte with yogurt sauce.

With so many gourmet options, it's easy to get carried away and forget about the meatball's humble roots. Porta Mangiare, a gourmet Italian food purveyor, makes authentic and easy-to-prepare meatball mixes in four varieties ($14.97 for three). I tried out the spicy blend for this week's Mixed Review.

Less a mix and more of a spice blend, the Porta Mangiare spicy meatball mix is a combination of bread crumbs made from dark rye and whole wheat flour, along with red pepper, garlic, paprika, onion, salt, and other secret ingredients. According to their website, "all of the recipes are derived from Grandmother Giulia, who immigrated to America in the late 1800s."

To prepare the meatballs, I combined the mix with two eggs, three tablespoons of milk, six ounces of grated Romano cheese, and one pound of lean ground beef. Being careful not to overwork the mix, I rolled heaping spoonfuls between my palms. The instructions said to form fifteen balls 1 1/2 inches in diameter; I had enough leftover to form two extra (not that I was complaining).

While pan-frying is an option, I decided to bake my meatballs (350°F for 20 minutes) for a slightly healthier dish. They emerged perfectly done, with crusty coats and juicy, medium-rare centers. A scoop of marinara sauce and sprinkle of freshly chopped basil was all they needed to morph them into a main dish.

What I liked best about the Porta Mangiare meatballs was the balance of ingredients. With each bite, I tasted the garlicy bread crumbs, the tangy Romano cheese, and the succulent beef. But for a blend that billed itself as "spicy," they could have used a bit more heat. Sometimes I tasted kick of red pepper, sometimes I didn't. An extra dash or two as you're stirring the mix would do the trick.

Ultimately, I would highly recommend the Porta Mangiare mixes for casual Sunday night family meals. They would also make great gifts for those gourmet friends of yours who are always looking for new ways to channel their inner Mario or Giada.

About the author: Lucy Baker is a freelance food writer and the author of the forthcoming cookbook, The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets.