We cooked up a storm inside yesterday with the talented and spunky cooking impresario Annalisa Pompeo of GoSicily Sicilian Cooking Experience for our Experience Sicily cooking class! We made arancine (rice balls) and ricottamasu. I loved having everyone at my home to share a memorable, joyful day. And wow, the rice balls we made were…
Tag: arancina
Let’s Have A Ball On Sunday
Sunday in NYC: Let’s eat rice balls!! Santa Lucia is the patron saint of grain, and as a result, arancine, or rice balls, are a significant element to celebrating the Feast of Santa Lucia. So much so, that in Palermo, her feast day is also the Sagra delle Arancine. Why rice balls (pictured)? To commemorate…
The Sensations Of Palermo’s Markets | Stirring Sicily, Day 2
Live from Sicily! Day 2 of Stirring Sicily with Chef Nino Elia of Zest Cooking School .. The sensations of Palermo’s markets and its warm and fascinating citizens. A magnificent day!
Celebrate Santa Lucia in New York City
The days are short, with evening coming early–too early for my liking. This is why I have an affinity for Santa Lucia, the patroness of light: I seek her support during these cold, dark months. Please join me for the annual luncheon celebrating the Feast of Santa Lucia on Sunday, Dec. 9 in New York…
Crunchy On The Outside
Earlier this week, I mentioned that in the days leading up to and including La Festa di Santa Lucia, Palermitani don’t eat flour-based foods. So what do they eat then? Arancine, of course! Yes, these balls-of-gold are a masterpiece of Palermitano wheat-free street food, and Sicilians of the Conco d’Oro take their arancine very seriously…
Rice Balls Made in Brooklyn
Tonight I made balls! I am full of goodies and joy after spending the evening in Brooklyn with Paige Lipari (right) at her Sicilian-inspired bookstore and cafè, Archestratus Books & Food. We made Palermo-style arancine (fried rice balls) from scratch, getting our hands full of sticky rice, breadcrumbs, and various fillings, including traditional ragu with…
Celebrate Palermo Food Fest with Arancine
From September 3-11, the Palermo Food Fest fills the city’s streets with typical foods from throughout Sicily and Italy. The town comes to life with chefs and musicians and artisans and more. Without a doubt, our favorite arancine, like this one pictured, will be enjoyed with glee. The fried rice balls stuffed with beef ragu,…
The Arancina of My Eye
Let’s talk about the lighter side of the traditions for the Festa di Santa Lucia: Arancine! Yes, this ball of gold is a masterpiece of Palermitano wheat-free street food, and Sicilians of the Conco d’Oro take their arancine very seriously on Saint Lucy’s feast day. The fried rice balls stuffed with beef ragu, peas, and…
Arancina: I Shouldn’t Have, But I Did
Last week, I featured the Catania-style arancino. Well, this evening upon returning to Bagheria, since I had yet to have a Palermo-style arancina on this trip, I indulged. Here you can see that an arancina is truly shaped and sized like an orange, but isn’t one! Hence the name… arancina. It’s not an orange, but…
Catania’s Rice Balls
I’ve told you about the Palermo-style arancina–a breaded and fried rice ball with a center of peas, caciocavallo cheese, and beef ragu that looks like an orange. Important to note: the end of the word is an A. ArancinA. Well, in Catania, on the east side of Sicily, they have a similar recipe, but with…