Roll in the new year with arancini

By now you should be good and tired of little wieners in crescent rolls, raw vegetables and dip, and other assorted party pick-up foods that inundate the holiday season. Of course, tomorrow night, these regulars will rear their heads again on the party table.

If you're hosting a New Year's Eve shindig, let me introduce you to something different. It's a nifty little bite from Italy that has become the current darling of the New York City cocktail party circuit -- arancini.

The name literally translates as "little orange," which is what they resemble when cooked, but there is nothing fruity about them. Arancini are widely served street food in Italy, and every nonna there has her own variation on this theme. Arancini are little risotto balls stuffed with all kinds of fillings and fried to golden perfection. It was originally an ingenious way to use up leftover risotto, but they taste far too good for just that purpose.

Sam Poley, chef-owner of Durham's Starlu Restaurant, introduced me to this jewel. Chef Poley has had an arancini preparation on his menu since Starlu opened. He is constantly changing the filling and sauce (or broth) that he serves them in to suit his whims.

I tried them on my guests last week at our annual Christmas Eve party and got rave reviews. Chef Poley was kind enough to share one of his recipes with me -- and now you. He makes some of the best arancini anywhere, including New York City. Of course, I had to play with the recipe; I stuffed some of the risotto balls with ham and mushrooms.

When preparing arancini, make sure you let the risotto base cool before you form the balls, and only cook up a few at a time. Try your own variations; just about anything works.

Then surprise your guests and let them ring in the New Year with a new taste.