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Cooking Class: Secrets of Sicilian Arancini al Ragù with Gina Tringali

Cooking Class: Secrets of Sicilian Arancini al Ragù with Gina Tringali


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Can't make this time? A video recording will be sent to all participants after the seminar.

Meet one of Sicily's most revered street foods: the  arancina (rice ball)! The Arabs introduced or reintroduced rice to Sicily in the 10th century. Arancini (rice balls), panelle (chickpea fritters), and many desserts made with sugar cane were inspired by Arab agriculture and cuisine.
Arancini are a hearty handheld snack that comes in a variety of forms. The classic arancina is meat-filled, but nowadays, fillings range from ground meat and peas to pistachio nuts and chicken, using local ingredients and experimenting with combinations of flavors.
On the menu today is the most classic arancini variety. Filled with a meat ragù, green peas, and mozzarella, this hearty rice ball can be eaten as an appetizer, a snack, or a meal served with a salad. In this cooking seminar, we will make arguably the most beloved arancini recipe.
In this hands-on conversation, we will learn how to prepare this delicious Sicilian snack. Led by food historian, sommelier, and home cook Gina Tringali, this interactive lesson will have you making arancini like an expert. Designed to deliver a taste of Sicily, participants will come away with an understanding of how to make this beloved fried snack and learn about its different names, forms, and flavors.

Below are the items you’ll want to participate in this class. We will email attendees the full recipe with measurements and instructions before the class so that they can pre-measure ingredients before joining.
Ingredients:
For the Rice
  • Carnaroli or Arborio rice (1 1/2 cups)
  • water crushed saffron( 1/4 tsp optional)
  • freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 2 Tbsp
  • unsalted butter
  • salt & black pepper to taste
For the Meat Sauce
  • olive oil (1 Tbsp )
  • red wine, (3 Tbsp) optional
  • yellow onion
  • carrot
  • celery
  • ground beef (3 oz.)
  • ground pork (3 oz.)
  • tomato paste tomato purée (passata di pomodoro) 
  • green peas (fresh or frozen)
For the Arancini
  • fresh mozzarella cheese, diced (5 oz.)
  • all-purpose flour (1 cup)
  • 2 large eggs
  • water
  • salt
  • breadcrumbs
  • Oil of your choice for frying
Special equipment
We don’t list every item you’ll need here (e.g., standard items like knives, bowls, cutting boards). But we do our best to identify items that may not be in every kitchen and alternatives where possible.
  • saucepans or frying pans
  • mixing bowls
  • cookie sheet/baking tray
  • slotted spoon
  • spatula
  • wooden spoon
  • parchment paper
  • paper towels 
  • a bowl of tepid water

Gina is a food historian, coffee connoisseur and cook. Born into an Italian-American family, Gina spent countless hours in the kitchens of her mom and her Neapolitan and Sicilian grandmothers – watching, cooking, tasting – dreaming of living in Italy. In 2007 she relocated to Rome where she earned a Master's degree in Italian Gastronomic Culture from the Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”, and became a certified sommelier and member of AIS. She also holds an MBA from NYU. Before relocating to Rome, she worked for Tom Colicchio's Craft family of restaurants in NYC in business development and marketing and she spent some time in the kitchen. Her writing appears on numerous food and travel publications.

This conversation is suitable for all ages.

90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.

Customer Reviews

Based on 11 reviews
91%
(10)
9%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
J
J.J. (Bloomington, US)
She's a terrific teacher

Gina Tringali displays warmth and professionalism with genuine assurance that these (arancini) will be good, that you can DO it, and she enjoys walking you through the steps. Her style is pleasing and the lesson well conceived and executed. This is my fourth "Culinary Conversation", all with different instructors, and I continue to be impressed and delighted. Thank you, Gina!

M
M.V. (Millbrook, US)
Helpful and Encouraging

I was not able to watch live, but have watched the recording. Any questions I have were answered, and I especially appreciated the variations and fixes Gina demonstrated. Her calm approach is very reassuring.

P
P.A. (Parker, US)
Easy to follow; Fabulous to eat!

We had never done a virtual cooking class before. This was a treat! Appreciated having the recipe ahead of time and found Gina's engaging style and encouragement helpful for doing this the first time. We had quite the lunch and will make these again for our friends!

V
Val Braid (Waterloo, CA)
Arancini

What a great experience to cook along with Gina. Her expertise on the subject was appreciated and the end result was very tasty. A nice birthday present from my husband.

J
Jan King (Austin, US)
Informative and Fun!

Gina makes cooking fun! She is an excellent teacher and cooking along with her class allows you the opportunity to ask questions in real time as you are trying new recipes and techniques. This is the second class of hers I’ve taken and will definitely try others.

Customer Reviews

Based on 11 reviews
91%
(10)
9%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
J
J.J. (Bloomington, US)
She's a terrific teacher

Gina Tringali displays warmth and professionalism with genuine assurance that these (arancini) will be good, that you can DO it, and she enjoys walking you through the steps. Her style is pleasing and the lesson well conceived and executed. This is my fourth "Culinary Conversation", all with different instructors, and I continue to be impressed and delighted. Thank you, Gina!

M
M.V. (Millbrook, US)
Helpful and Encouraging

I was not able to watch live, but have watched the recording. Any questions I have were answered, and I especially appreciated the variations and fixes Gina demonstrated. Her calm approach is very reassuring.

P
P.A. (Parker, US)
Easy to follow; Fabulous to eat!

We had never done a virtual cooking class before. This was a treat! Appreciated having the recipe ahead of time and found Gina's engaging style and encouragement helpful for doing this the first time. We had quite the lunch and will make these again for our friends!

V
Val Braid (Waterloo, CA)
Arancini

What a great experience to cook along with Gina. Her expertise on the subject was appreciated and the end result was very tasty. A nice birthday present from my husband.

J
Jan King (Austin, US)
Informative and Fun!

Gina makes cooking fun! She is an excellent teacher and cooking along with her class allows you the opportunity to ask questions in real time as you are trying new recipes and techniques. This is the second class of hers I’ve taken and will definitely try others.