Arancini…

I first learned about arancini when I worked in lower Manhattan. I worked with a lot of Italians from Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. 

The guys were all total guidos, and the girls were guidettes. They were the real deal, even bigger quidos than in Jersey. 

A bunch of us went to lunch together, and I was taken to all the best spots. We had a hotdog wagon in front of our tall office building, which I went to a lot.

One of the places was called Rosarios, where I had my first arancini. It was the size of a softball stuffed with either mozzarella or meatball.

It was cut in half and topped with marinara sauce. It was huge, filling, and It cost one dollar. No wonder why I gained ten pounds when I worked in the city. I looked them up, and sadly, they closed in 2021 during covid and never reopened.

I started making my own arancini after I taught myself how to cook. They are still one of my favorite Italian food items. You don’t see them on many menus in restaurants or pizzerias, only in old-school places that have been open forever.

Arancini, which means orange in Italian, is also called rice balls. They look like oranges but taste like heaven. They are very filling, so I make mine on the smaller size.

Arancini are easy to make but are food of love. You must make and prep other things before making the rice balls. First, you have to make risotto which is another labor of love. It takes time and patience. 

Next, you have to make marinara sauce, another labor of love to simmer it slowly to develop flavor. The risotto and sauce must be refrigerated overnight before you can start the rice balls. See, I told you it’s a labor of love. 

I love how you can see the shadow of the spoon I always have resting on the pot. The sauce is a beautiful orange-red and is sexy like velvet.

I added an egg and shredded mozzarella cheese to the cold risotto, not from a bag, but freshly shredded. Don’t be lazy about the cheese if you’re going this far.

After it’s mixed well, I portion out the balls of rice. Next, a piece of fresh mozzarella goes into the center. Then, it’s rolled tightly so the cheese doesn’t make a getaway.

Finally, after setting up a dredging station, the arancini are coated in egg and then panko breadcrumbs. I use GF Progresso breadcrumbs. This part of the process goes quickly.

The last step is to fry the rice balls, I do mine the shallow fry method until they are deep golden brown, like an orange.

OMG!

They are drained on paper towels and are ready to eat. Serve with marinara sauce, and eat! Mangia Mangia! It is hard to imagine how good they are until you’ve had them. The key to delicious arancini is delicious risotto.

These are something I make maybe twice a year not only because they are time-consuming, but also bad as hell for you. Everything in moderation is how we live our lifestyle. 

My son Noah has been telling his girlfriend Aja about the arancini and St. Cecelia’s pizza which is fried dough topped with marinara sauce and grated parmesan.

Only people from my town and a couple of surrounding towns know about St. Cecelia’s pizza. Mine is close but still not as good as the OG. A pizzeria called Jersey Boys Pizza which is near to where I lived makes and serves Iselin Fair Pizza.

Speaking of which, St. Cecelia’s Pizza is also called Iselin Fair Pizza. Every second week of July was the Iselin Fair. My school St. Cecelia’s, did the food concession. The best was the nuns pulling the dough.

The pizza, like the arancini, isn’t the healthiest of choices, so I made both. It’s like going to hell in a handbasket. Again, in moderation, we ate super healthy dinners afterward for several days.

I was happy to make this meal last Sunday for Noah and Aja, who both loved it. I also make kimchi rice balls which are different but just as delicious. Noah actually prefers those but likes the Italian version as well.

I made a side of sausage, peppers, and onions but used chicken sausage instead of pork. At least that was the healthiest thing on the plate and included veggies. For dessert, I made cannoli gelato, a showstopper of a dessert and not hard to make. 

Photo credit Aja Wolfrum

Yes, this dinner was a lot of work, but worth every bit of it. Not only do I enjoy making meals like this but making them for people I love makes it even better. There is no way to describe how a cook feels when they see someone enjoy their food.

It’s been a good week; that tough day I had came and went. Every day is a new day, and I left it all behind. It’s hard to live in the moment at times, but it’s pretty amazing when you can.

It looks like it’s going to be another rainy weekend here, but I still have a couple of projects to do, like cleaning out the old root cellar and figuring out my costuming for next week.

Our dance troupe, Bennington Beledi Tribal Belly Dance, will be marching and performing at the Pride parade on June 25th in Bennington. Everyone is super excited about the event and dancing two sets. It feels great to perform again.

As in real life, I have many styles and looks when performing. The weather, the event itself, and how I feel on the day of the gig play a big part in the final outcome.

I don’t know what I’ll look like until I am finished getting ready. I am usually really happy with the final results; it’s when I overthink it is when things go wrong.

Happy Friday! That’s it from here in Arlington, VT, I picked up a hoodie today for Nelly at our local farmers market. Needless to say, we love it, and she loves being warm and cozy. 💖