The women on my husband’s side of the family decided to start a cookbook club as a way to connect over a shared love of food. Much like a book club where the group reads and discusses an agreed-upon book, we pick a cookbook and each takes turns picking and making a recipe. It’s a great way to spend time together, especially for those who live farther away.

At the suggestion of some people in the group, we decided on By Heart. The author, Hailee Catalano, mixes her culinary school education and restaurant experience with dishes she grew up eating.

The first two recipes were a spicy pasta and brown butter cookies. This week we made Tina’s Meatballs, a classic meatball recipe inspired by Catalano’s Italian-American grandmother, Tina. This was my first time making meatballs from scratch, and I was a little intimidated. The recipe didn’t seem too complicated, so that eased my concerns. I gathered the ingredients and got to work. The recipe was easy to follow and didn’t require any difficult techniques. The final product came out great! On the side, I made the last package of pasta we bought during our trip to Italy. We did our Zoom call this week, comparing notes, and everyone agreed it was a hit.

Up next: maple cheddar snack mix.

I’m excited for my turn to select a recipe and to see what everyone else picks as we continue our cookbook club journey.

— Katie Skrzek, vice president and digital director