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…

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…

When Without Wheat

Before I get to the serious significance of the December 13 Feast for Santa Lucia, let’s talk about the really serious stuff: that Palermitani celebrate the Saint by eating arancine. Arancine (as they are known in Palermo; Arancini, if you’re from the east side of Sicily), are rice balls filled with either a beef ragu…

Arancina di Spinaci

Arancine have been gaining popularity outside of Sicily in recent years. But let’s be clear: they are from Sicily. Also, understand that they are “arancine” or one is an “arancina.” You’ll find in restaurants in the US they are often mis-named “arancini.” Arancini (plural with an -i) are little oranges (“Arancio,” with an -o, is…

Arancini are rice balls stuffed with beef ragù, peas, butter, and cheese such as Caciocavallo or Pecorino Romano. They are breaded and fried. They are named arancini because they resemble oranges. Good arancini, like these from NYC’s Bar Eolo, melt in your mouth. #sicily #sicily_travel #sicilia #sicily_tourism #italy #ig_sicily #arancini