I saw "Fried Rice Balls" cooked for the first time in my life the other day ...

[Shaolin Bushido]

... and now they're being prepared on every show on every channel I turn to! I swear I've seen them prepared 3 times in the last 2 days!

Are italian style rice balls something that's enjoying some type of renaissance or am I just ... more dimwitted than I imagined?

Y'know, the type with savory meats and cheese inside of em and deep-fried ...

[Suzanne]

Are you sure you're not just seeing repeats of the same show?

[Shaolin Bushido]

Originally Posted by Suzanne

Are you sure you're not just seeing repeats of the same show?

Y'know Suzanne, I wish that was the case! I saw em on Epicurious, that new show featuring Paula Deen's son's and one other that I can't recall ... Those rice balls looked so good I'm sure I'd have remembered seeing them featured before!

I'm afraid to go to my local grocer now. From what I've gathered, they are an old and traditional dish ... I can't believe I'm like the last person to discover them. Of course, I haven't really "discovered em til I eat one which I'm trying to do as soon as possible!

[Mezzaluna]

I think they're called "arinchini" (little oranges) and I remember seeing them on Molto Mario for the first time several years ago. He used the term "telephono" to describe them, because the melted cheese, when pulled apart, looks like telephone lines.

I hope somebody out there either validates or corrects this because my memory's a bit thin on this.

By the way, you can use leftover risotto to make "pancakes", too- you can sandwich some cheese in them, panfry them and oh boy! They get crispy and yummy.

[Blueicus]

Yep, they're arancini... I've also found that if you make the balls too large the cheese inside doesn't get a chance to melt before the outside becomes overly dark.

[Atomichron]

Any answer to the Question of what cheese is the best to use for these balls ?

[Blueicus]

A small piece of fresh Mozzarella is a pretty standard and good cheese to use, I believe, as it melts nicely inside.

[siduri]

arancini are sicilian
in rome and naples they call them suppli' - accent on the i
some have a ragu with meat and peas in them, some have mozzarella (suppli al telefono) and you can invent your own.
I personally don;t like them, but my kids always loved them and i always made extra risotto for that purpose.

[mudbug]

Originally Posted by Atomichron

Any answer to the Question of what cheese is the best to use for these balls ?

Try these recipes here and here.