I had one week off from school while studying abroad in Paris, it was November, and similarly to Vancouver, most days were consistently rainy and grey. I searched for the cheapest flight possible to towards the south, towards warmth and sun. That turned out to be a €100 return flight to Palermo in the north of Sicily. I spent one week touring the coast by car. I discovered beautiful landscapes, great people, and delicious food. In particular, “arancini” were of interest. I was shocked that up until now these fantastically diverse and adaptable balls of risotto rice with various fillings had never been introduced to me. They seemed to fit so well with the North American palate.
I finished my year of studies in Paris then went on to do a year-long internship; all the while, I hadn’t forgotten my Sicilian arancino discovery. Before returning home to Canada to finish my degree in Vancouver, I had an insatiable urge to return to Sicily to learn how to prepare these traditional risotto balls, so I booked a one week cooking course with a Sicilian chef, who ended up being a fantastic teacher. Having spent all my money on the cooking course, I couchsurfed with some Sicilians from Catania. They nicknamed me “Mr. Arancino” for my avid love of their traditional arancini.
Since then I have been innovating, perfecting & testing my recipes to create high quality risotto balls specialized to Vancouverites’ tastes and desires. Now inviting you to come try delicious arancini at our Dunsmuir and Beatty st. food trailer right outside Stadium-Chinatown Skytrain! We hope you will love our arancini as much as we do!
