My grandmother taught us how to make Rice Balls, wasn't sure if that was really a Sicilian thing but they are wonderful.

She also use to call her Spaghetti Sauce 'suga'...wonder what that means...it is quite famous where I live...everyone loves it...it has sugar in it...

Sounds great John! I have never heard of it. Care to share a recipie?

hey John, can you give me your recipe for rice balls please? My husband (who is sicilian) loves them It's his favorite. He hasn't had it much since we left New York. Here in Texas no one knows what they are. We have a great pizzeria here where we live (Houston). The guy is from Brooklyn where I grew up and his food is delicious. Just like back home. But he doesn't make rice balls because they don't sell as the people here have never had them. He makes them for his family during holidays and saves a tray for my husband. But that's like 3 times a year. I'd love to give it a try if you don't mind posting. Thanks!

I also love rice balls so yes, please post the recipe/

Suga is actually SUGO and it's Italian for sauce...thats what we call it too.

In Lombardia these are called 'suppli' (sooplee), and sometimes 'arancie' (oranges), but up here they are not eaten with sugo. They are quite large and are eaten as either a 'starter or as a 'contorno' (side dish with main course).

When I make a risotto with saffron and mushrooms I make plenty and the extra I leave for the next day - Then to prepare I just add an egg, mix it well (using my hands) then make the balls (up to about 2" accross), dip them in beaten egg, roll in the breadcrumbs and fry in really hot oil.


These are nice too if you put a small piece of cheese in the middle before rolling and 'breading them.....

Before you ask - here's my recipe for that risotto...
N.B. It can be made, and is just as tasty if you replace the mushrooms with some chopped ham!
This recipe is for two/three people so if you want to make suppli afterwards you need to increase the quantities....

Risotto alla Milanese con funghi.

1/4 Teaspoon saffron, crushed
1/2 Cup white wine
6-7 Cups stock(chicken, beef or vegetable
4 Tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
2 Cups arborio rice
1 Ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 Cups oarmesan cheese


Preparation:
Soak the porcini in hot water for 20 minutes to reconstitute. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, cut the porcini into small pieces. Meanwhile, steep the saffron in white wine for 10 minutes. Heat the stock in a saucepan, it is important that the stock remains warm. Heat the butter over medium heat, add the onions and cook till translucent. Add the rice and stir well to coat. Slowly add 1/2 cup of stock, stir and cook. After five minutes add the wine and saffron. Cook till the liquid is absorbed. Add the mushroom water and the chopped porcini, stir well. Continue stirring and adding the hot broth, this should take 20 minutes. Remove from the heat when the risotto is creamy and the grain still firm. Stir in the cheese and salt and pepper. Serve

Carole, one day you must try your same recipe with fresh porcini instead of the dried one... And tell me the difference

liviomoreno wrote:

Carole, one day you must try your same recipe with fresh porcini instead of the dried one... And tell me the difference

I was given quite a lot of 'local' fresh porcini to freeze for the winter - so I'll try some next week when I make my risotto... I've always used the dried ones, from habit I suppose - I was taught how to cook this risotto using them.

Thanks Livio

Hi Carole!!!!
You made me hungry at 10.00 a.m. in the morning!!!!!
I think that John's was referring to the Arancini di Riso... In this moment I have no time to translate this recipe but I'll do during this day....
They are stuffed with meat, pees, green....
Very tipical sicilian food....

Arancini di Riso - Ricetta Classica

Ingredienti per 8 porzioni

1 kg di riso arborio

3 litri d'acqua (o brodo di carne)

6 dadi di brodo (controllare l'uso per la quantità d'acqua)

50 g di burro

50 g di grana grattugiato

1 uovo

una bustina di zafferano

- Ripieno

300 di carne trita

2 cucchiai di soffritto di cipolla, sedano e carota

50 g di concentrato di pomodoro diluito in 1/2 bicchiere d'acqua

1/2 bicchiere di vino bianco

sale

pepe

100 g di pisellini

olio extravergine

200 g di mozzarella da taglio a cubetti

300 g di pane grattugiato fino

1 litro d'olio di semi per friggere

PreparazioneIn una pentola capiente versare l'acqua, il riso, lo zafferano sciolto e i dadi.
Mettere sul fuoco (abbassate la fiamma dopo che prende bollore) e fare cuocere fino ad assorbimento dell'acqua, mescolando di tanto in tanto (se usate il brodo pronto non usare i dadi).
Spegnete il gas con il riso al dente e mantecare col burro e il formaggio.
Fate raffreddare bene il riso e amalgamatelo con l'uovo (sarebbe preferibile cuocerlo al mattino per la preparazione al pomeriggio).
Preparate il ragù con il soffritto, l'olio, la carne, sfumando con il vino.
Aggiungete il concentrato di pomodoro sciolto nell'acqua e i pisellini, cuocendo per una ventina di minuti circa.
Deve essere quasi denso.
Quando tutti gli ingredienti sono pronti preparatevi una ciotola con l'acqua fredda per bagnarvi le mani, una scodella col il pane grattugiato per passare gli arancini, un vassoio dove sistemarli man mano sono pronti.
Bagnatevi le mani nell'acqua, prendete una manciata di riso, fate una pallina con entrambe le mani (poco più di una pallina di tennis) e con l'indice fate un buco allargato quanto basta a contenere un cucchiaino di ragù e due tre cubetti di mozzarella.
Richiudetela bene, aggiungendo qualche po' di riso se occorre e passatela nel pane grattugiato premendo bene con entrambe le mani.
Proseguite fino alla fine degli ingredienti, dovreste avere dai 32 a 40 arancini.
Friggeteli immersi in olio bollente finché si forma una crosticina dorata (il colore dipende da voi se li volete più o meno fritti).
Servite caldi.

Carole and Laura -

They BOTH look delicious! ........it's 7:55am and you've both made me hungry!!

I'll be interested to see Johns recipe.

As for the sauce.........my mother always put sugar in hers and I put it in mine too. Just enough to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.

WOW...

Hey Gina I live in Katy Texas so we must be neighbors!

Gina what and where is your Pizzeria I would like to go there!

Ciao A tutti!

I found the Arancini di Riso recipe in english from this site:
italianfood.about.com/

Here is:
To serve 4 you'll need:

1 1/2 cups rice
Half a packet of saffron (a few pistils, about 1/8 teaspoon)
1 cup grated Parmigiano (freshly grated, not from a can)
4 eggs
2/3 pound (300 g) ground beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 clove garlic
1/2 a small onion
A packed quarter cup dried porcini
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 pound mozzarella or fresh, soft provolone (if you're in Sicily you will want to use canestrato fresco)
1 cup fresh peas, boiled
Flour
Bread crumbs
Salt and Pepper
Oil for frying
Organically grown orange leaves (optional, as garnish)


Begin by preparing the filling:

Finely slice the onion and mince the garlic, and sauté the mixture in the olive oil until it wilts. Stir in the ground meat, continue cooking until it is well browned, and then stir in the wine. While it's evaporating, dilute the tomato paste in a ladle of warm water and stir it in. Season the mixture to taste, and simmer it over a very low flame for a couple of hours, adding more warm water or broth as necessary to keep it from drying out. Towards the end of the cooking time, steep the dried mushrooms in boiling water for a few minutes and coarsely chop them. Stir them into the sauce too; cook it for 15 minutes more and it's done.

While the meat's cooking, simmer the peas until they're tender. Then remove them from the fire, drain them, and let them cool. Dice the mozzarella into half-inch cubes and combine it with the cool peas.

The other thing to do while the meat is cooking is prepare the rice: boil it in abundant, lightly salted water, and while it's cooking lightly beat two of the eggs. When the rice is done drain it. Transfer it into a bowl, let it cool slightly, and stir in the beaten eggs, grated cheese, and saffron. Let it finish cooling.

When everything else is ready, lightly beat the remaining eggs and season them with salt and pepper. Then, preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C). Next, make the first arancino by taking two small handfuls of rice and shaping them into hollow hemispheres Fill the hollows with some of the meat, and some of the peas, and mold the two halves together to obtain a smooth-sided rice ball about the size of a small orange (1.5 - 2 inches in diameter). Roll the arancino in flour, dredge it in the beaten egg, roll it well in the breadcrumbs, and fry it in abundant hot oil. While it's cooking begin with the next, and when the one that's frying has become a golden brown drain it on absorbent paper. When you have finished frying all your arancini, heat them through in the oven for five minutes, decorate them with the orange leaves if you choose to, and serve them piping hot.

Wow1 Thanks Laura - I think I'll try these.

Hey John! That's so funny! What are you doing in Katy? Don't you know the Italians in Houston live in the Bay Area and Galveston? I am in Clear Lake. You MUST try the pizzeria. It's called Pomodoro's. A bit of a hike for you but certainly worth it. Take I-45 south to Nasa Road 1. Go east (left) on Nasa Road 1. It's on your left side about 4 or 5 miles down. Definitely worth the trip. Lou, the owner is from Carol Gardens, in South Brooklyn (Lori...our territory). Just before Pomodoro's is a restaurant called Frenchie's. Best Italian food in Houston. Hands down.

Hey, let me know if you go and what you think.