It's no secret America has long held a love affair with meatballs. The epitome of comfort food, they're quintessentially American: familiar, accessible, affordable. Whether tossed in spaghetti, sandwiched between bread or plucked from hors d'oeuvre plates, eating them almost always inspires warm, nostalgic feelings. It seems all too appropriate that a restaurant centered its entire menu around the little morsels.

Since its beginnings as a small outpost in Manhattan's Lower East Side, The Meatball Shop has opened its doors to two other New York City neighborhoods. With lines that circle the block and food that comes up in conversation days and even weeks later, it's no wonder Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow's innovative eatery has become a Manhattan mainstay.

Elevating something as simple as meatballs to the heights of high-brow food is no small feat. But making them accessible to the average at-home cook, and pairing them with worthy sauces, seasonal side dishes and desserts, is what makes The Meatball Shop Cookbook such a novelty. Thank the all-mighty food deities that it came out in time for the holidays.

Replete with interesting anecdotes and a detailed back-story that answers questions like So why meatballs?, the book is broken down into six easily maneuverable sections ranging from the balls to the sauces and even the sweets. Never intimidating or daunting in the least, the recipes come neatly packed, well explained and are surprisingly easy to make at home. Take their Spicy Pork Meatballs for instance, one the the restaurants most popular, or their Veggie Balls, easily some of the best I've encountered, and you'll learn how to recreate them in your kitchen, and also easy tweaks and twists to make them your own.

For the full Meatball Shop menu and more, check out the new cookbook here — or enter our giveaway for a chance at a free copy. Entering is super-easy: Just leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite way to eat meatballs. You must include your email address in the “Email” field when submitting your comment so we can communicate back with you if you’re a winner. (But do not post your email address into the actual body of the comment.) We’re giving a copy away to one very lucky, randomly selected commenter.

You may only comment once to be considered, and you don’t have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited. Only open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states, D.C. or Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 years of age to win. All entries (comments) must be entered between 12:00 p.m. ET on December 6th and 5:00 p.m. ET on December 9th. Subject to full Official Rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance to the Official Rules. ARV of prize: $28.00. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a/ Cooking Channel, 75 9th Ave., New York, NY 10011.

The entry period for this is closed. The winner will be contacted shortly!