There is a secret ingredient hidden inside each meatball. Can you guess what it is?
The world is sweltering hot this week.
In several locations around the world people have been spotted cooking eggs, fried rice and even baking cakes on the sidewalk.
It is so hot that car seatbelt buckles could be used as a branding device.
It is so hot in Hong Kong that I have stopped carrying an umbrella to shelter myself from the scalding sun but instead carry a full complete pop up tent where ever I go.
It is so hot that I stopped looking at the heat index in Fahrenheit but instead now using the metric system. Somehow that makes me feel better.
It is so hot in HK that if you run the aircon all the windows fog up and the kids keep drawing smily faces and write “wash me” on the windows.
It is so hot in HK that people are actually asking for ICE in their drinks. My youngest teenager says that living in Hong Kong feels like you are trapped in a hot cement box. How hot is it where you are living?
It’s so hot in Italy all the gelato is now served up with a huge 7/11 slurpy straw and the statue of David was seen fanning himself with a Japanese fan.
It is so hot in the US, that terrible forest fires are difficult to put out. To everyone going through these horrible events my positive thoughts and prayers are coming your way.
Several world records for heat indexes have been broken this week and I hope this delightful refreshing Italian drink and treat can keep you cool and comfortable this holiday week. I have the rare opportunity to enjoy, not one, but two holiday celebrations this week. Both holidays I am sure will have fireworks, sparklers, fun festivities and of course lots of delicious food. So please keep on reading to learn how to make a refreshing beat the heat Aperol Sparkler beverage and yummy Italian meatballs with a surprise center.
Every year on June 1st, China celebrates the handover ceremony of Hong Kong in 1997 officially marked the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China.
On July 4th, USA celebrates our independence. Now, over 200 years later, we celebrate the Fourth of July because it stands as a symbol of the day long ago when our country’s founders officially declared their independence.
As a tribute to this very international world we live in, lets lift our glass of Italian Aperto sparkler while watching the US Fourth of July parade, enjoying the beautiful Chinese fireworks over the Victoria Harbor while nibbling on some yummy Italian meatballs with a surprise in the center. That is how I like to roll…
During my visit to Italy, I discovered a new yummy “adult” drink. I know that Bam’s Kitchen always revolves around my teenagers but there are sometimes when mom needs a break too.
Have you ever tried an Aperol Spritz? Aperol is a bright orange-colored Italian liquor made with bitter and sweet oranges,herbs, roots and many other yummy things they will not disclose. Aperol only has an ETOH content of 11 percent.
I have changed the name of Aperol Spritz to “Aperol Sparkler” as the bubbles from the Prosecco and soda water pop in your mouth and make it like a little cold celebration of Italian bliss. The Aperol is slightly sweet but slightly bitter and makes for a very refreshing summer drink. Some may compare it slightly to campari.
Aperol Sparkler
Serves 1
- Aperol
- soda water
- Prosecco
- crushed ice
- orange slices for garnish
Step 1: For the Adults, in a chilled wine glass add crushed ice, splash of aperol, splash of Prosecco and a splash of soda water to top it off. Gently stir, garnish with an orange slice and sip to enjoy. (Repeat process until you’re a happy camper.)
Step 2: For the Kids, in a plastic non breakable cup add crushed ice, splash of orange soda pop, squeeze of fresh orange juice and top up with soda water. Serve with fancy twisty straws, maraschino cherry and fresh orange garnishes.
Step 3: Enjoy the kiddie pool and run through the sprinkler with the kids and enjoy a nice tall Aperol Sparkler in the shade.
Now that you cooled down you need some great munchies to go with your cocktail. The other day I was at the market and I seen these adorable thimble sized potatoes. My teenagers are meat and potato boys at heart so this seemed like the perfect idea. Here is what I did to make these delicious Italian Meat Balls of Fire. These little meatballs actually are not too spicy but I took a little liberty on the naming convention to match today’s hot and steamy temperature outside.
Italian Balls of Fire
Serves 4 adults or 1 hungry teenager
- 12 miniature potatoes
- 1 pound of ground turkey/ground chicken/ground beef (I used ground chicken but don’t tell the boys)
- 1/4 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 beaten egg
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
- 1/2 small onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- dash of hot pepper flakes (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon olive oil for frying
- Marinara sauce to dip
Step 1: Boil potatoes until fork tender about 10-12 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool
Step 2: In a separate bowl combine ground meat, Italian sausage, egg, parmesan cheese, garlic, onion, basil, hot pepper flakes and salt and pepper and set aside.
Step 3: Take one potato and wrap about one tablespoon of seasoned ground chicken/beef around each potato. Roll between your hands until smooth and round and all of the potato is covered with the meat mixture. (The meat coating should be about 1/8 inch thick around the potato.)
Step 4: Place breadcrumbs on a flat plate and roll meatball in the breadcrumbs until coated well. Repeat process for the rest of the meatballs.
Step 5: Place 1 teaspoon olive oil in a non-stick pan and heat on medium heat. Gently place meatballs into pan and cook on all sides for about 8 minutes or until juices no longer run pink and lightly browned on all sides.
Step 6: Enjoy Surprise Balls of Fire dipped in Marinara sauce as a fun appetizer (Great make ahead appetizer as they can just be reheated in the oven just before your guests arrive or are even good at room temperature)
Have a safe, cool and happy holiday weekend!
Take Care,
BAM
Well… I was stumped. I thought the baby potatoes were sweet dill pickle sections… of course, that might be interesting too!!
You should try a dill pickle inside that sounds yummy too. If you think about it you could really put anything inside. The sky is the limit…
What a fun post, Bam! It took me almost to the end to realize it was a potato inside the meatballs, which look so tasty, btw. And an Aperol Sparkler sounds great about now. It’s so hot here they’ve stopped all city workers from working on the streets today…107 F, a record since 1930. I’m too hot right now to find a more clever reply.
Thank you. Please be careful in this heat as heat stroke can happen very quickly. Hydrate, hydrate and hydrate and then when you think your eyes are floating drink one more glass just to be safe. Don’ forget about our sweet little pets too! Stay cool and safe! BAM
It is so hot here, I saw an Amish guy buying an air conditioner!
Great post, loved reading it! Great food as always! Hugs to you friend!
That is a great one Sibella! I am on my way over to your site now. Wishing you a happy 4th of July!
Thank you Bobbi! Happy 4th to you too! I am heading down south in a few days…
Looks so good with the potato hidden inside. All sounds good to me and fun. Great post.
My boys are meat and potato men so this is perfect manly man food! Have a great weekend.
Lots to celebrate (apart from the heat!). I’ve seen bottles of Aperol before but never tried it, but I’m sure I’d enjoy a sparkle to cool me down.
and no I didn’t guess they were potatoes in the middle of the meat balls
Claire you are so lucky that you can find Aperol where you live. They do not have it in Hong Kong. Please do give it a try as it is a great easy refreshing summer drink. Very unique taste.
It is so NOT hot where we are – we are up to a balmy 62 degrees today. The grass is always greener on the other side!! I was just talking to someone about Aperol the other day, and went to the store to try and buy some with no luck. I will have to keep looking, seems like a versitile ingredients to many good cocktails! A friend of mine is moving to Hong Kong with her three kids in a couple of weeks – any suggestions?
62 degrees F sounds like a dream come true! Blissful short and sweatshirt weather.
I think that you will be able to find Aperol in the States if you just keep looking. When you do you will love it. Very interesting flavor.
In regards to your friend, I would suggest getting the kids, depending on their ages, involved in maybe as ESF sports camp, treasure Island camp or something at the English speaking YWCA to help them transition before starting school. Is this their first time living abroad? Do they have the schools selected yet? As for mom, I would suggest that she look into the AWA an international group for women and a good network for her. I will be here until July 27th and you can have hook up with me directly as a resource at bamskitchen@gmail.com. Take care, BAM
Potato…I was thinking pickle.
I may totally try that – a dill pickle in the middle – using your techinque.
I have nothing witty to say about the heat…it’s exhausting.
You are the second person that mentioned pickle and that sounds so yummy. I will have to give that a try next time. Stay cool ! BAM
Cool post, really!
It is baking hot here, and I mean it. Instead of melting butter for my cookies on the stove, I just put it outside, and I think it melted faster than it would on the stove without burning! 
Come see my cookies, please. 
Stay cool!
I am on my way over to site to see your pre-melted butter cookies, sounds delicious. Stay cool and take care, BAM
It’s so hot in Boston that I made my husband haul the 100 lb window A/C up to the kitchen so my dog could chill
Those are the greatest little meatball things I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to make them.
We can’t forget about our sweet little pets. Kudos to your hubby!
These little meatball appetizers are so easy to make. No fuss at all which makes it great to entertain with. Take care, BAM
Your description of the heat makes me thankful for having winter my friend, I hope you are all faring as well as possible!
Your beautiful little fire balls look literally packed with flavour and delish
Cheers
CCU
I knew all my Auzzie friends would be rubbing it in that it is cool and comfortable in the land of OZ. I think I need to come and visit you this week to beat the heat. How did your exams go CCU? Take care, BAM
Hahaha! Loved all of your it’s so hot descriptions. We are few of the lucky ones I guess, but with one similar result: it’s so cold here in Sydney that the windows fog up with all the condensation from the heaters!
Love the balls of fire, would love one right now as my iPhone hand is frozen – I’m walking the puppy…
Another one of my dear Auzzie friends rubbing in the fact that they are cool and comfortable. Send some of that cool breeze our way. Stay warm and have a great weekend. BAM
Love the sound of the meatballs Bam
Really fun idea for an appetizer. If it helps, I find the best way to sleep and get some respite when it’s hot is to sit in a bath of warm water, gradually adding more cold water until you’re actually pretty cold. Stay there for about 20 minutes and then get out, dry yourself and go immediately to bed!
Your idea sure beats running through the sprinkler or sitting in the kiddie pool. Will give that a try tonight. Have a great weekend. BAM
What a great idea to use potatoes inside!
I bet we could brainstorm and come up with many new yummy ideas to put inside the meatball. It is a really flexible recipe. Take care, BAM
Hi, Mandy introduced me to your blog. It must be hot where you are but let me tell you; it’s very, very cold in my part of the world. My two dogs are curled up on the couch with me in front of the heater and my daughter is away on a camp and she keeps texting me about how cold she is. Can we swap???
Welcome, I am so glad you stopped by. I know that everyone who is cool and comfortable just wants to stop over and rub it in. Trust me, I would swap with you in a nano-second. I am on my way over to your site now. Take care and looking forward to keeping in touch. BAM
It’s been hot around here, too, BAM, but I think you’ve got us beat. Now there’s a contest I’ll gladly lose! Still, I try to keep my complaints about the heat to a minimum. It really won’t be that long before we may find ourselves shoveling snow, wishing for a little warmth.
I’m not at all familiar with Aperol nor these little meatballs but I sure would like to give each a try. An Aperol Spritz sounds very refreshing, the perfect way to end a day spent carrying a pop up tent around with you.
Next time you go home for a visit you really need to try Aperol. It is made in Italy and it is so refreshing. I have not forgotten about your pasta dishes we discussed and this upcoming week the boys and I are going to try some of your delicious simple Italian dishes together. I can’t wait. Details to follow. Take care, BAM
Wow that is great place to eat and nice view
Honestly Bobbi, you’re making me extremely hungry right now! (And it’s already 11.45pm here, and this is so not helping my diet…) But it’s definitely a perfect recipe for a picnic! So delicious!
Same here and why do you have to go posting these little delicious almond cakes! I have to stop reading your blog just before bedtime.
Haha I think we both need to stop reading food blogs at night! :p
A great recipe and a bonus drink recipe – yay! So sorry it’s that hot for you… we’re still hanging out at the low 60′s and cloudy around here, so hot kinda sounds nice – but just for a day or two. Hang in there, Bam, hope it cools off a tad for you all.
Actually after the typhoon we had the other day, things are a tiny bit less humid and the sky’s are blue. I know it is sort lived but enjoying todays weather. Take care, BAM
The surprises looked green, so I thought kiwi or avocado. I really like the idea of mini potatoes, BAM. I’m vacation with my kids/grandkids in the D.C./MD area and it was over 100-degreesF Friday pm. Will continue in the high 90s of the rest of my two weeks here. “It’s” getting even for the mild winter we experienced.
Stay cool (somehow!) and keep writing…
Stay cool and maybe try an Aperol Sparkler. Have fun with the grandkids. Take care, BAM
In the beginning I thought it as pickles of cucumbers from the color. It wasn’t until the photo with the bite taken out that showed the texture. Very clever. Stay cool.
That must be my bad kitchen lighting… sorry about that. In the day time my daytime lighting is okay but in the evening, even with supplementary lighting it is dim and dark. How do you compensate for this?
Bam, All the food I cook for my blog is for our evening meal and I use 5000 K CFL lights.
Thanks Karen. Greatly appreciated. I think maybe that is part of my problem, its my lighting. I will see if they have any at the hardware store. LOL ohh by the way have you seen the hard ware like stores- here in China. (Lets put it this way- home depot does not exist here) You can keep on laughing and I will try to take a picture of the local hardware alley some day and send your way. Very amusing.
Love the flushed David! And you got me with the surprise – I was thinking pickle, too (like one of the earlier commenters). Great idea! And the drink looks delish and refreshing. It’s hot, Hot, HOT here. Fun post – thanks.
Maybe I should try a pickle in the middle the next time… Can you get Aperol where you live? Take care, BAM
If this was served to me, I will really be surprised, I never tried meatballs filled with something in the middle. Great Idea
They are so easy to make and I think you could really put anything in the center you like as long as it is firm enough to hold shape while you form the meat around the center. Take care, BAM
Love the name…. and would never have guessed they were baby potatoes… What a perfect snack for when you have friends over…
Thanks. The only problem is holding off my hungry teenager boys from polishing them off before the guest arrive. Take Care, BAM
It’s a good thing I wasn’t around as well, or you wouldn’t have had any left over for your guests
Too funny.. I was guessing pickles all along! Potatoes makes so much more sense of course, now that I see the finished recipe! I’ve never tried Aperol and not sure if we get that here, but it looks so delightfully refreshing for hot days like yours… xo
With teenage boys it is meat and potatoes all the way! I am finally home now and took a look at your new theme. Very nice and calming and I think it is also easier to navigate to find your recipes on your site. I am also ready for a change in my theme but hesitant as with you I really do not want to have to make a lot of adjustments to existing data. Take care, BAM
Thanks Bam.. you have a great week!
Hello there,
I am very excited to let you know that I have nominated you for the Inspiring Blog Award. I have included a brief explanation of what makes your blog so inspirational to me here:
http://nyparrot.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/you-think-you-know-me-but-you-dont-writing-a-blog-is-rewarding/
Thanks for inspiring me, and may inspiration be always present in abundance in your life!
Thank you very much for thinking of me and for your kind words. I hope I can keep inspiring you to try some new cuisines. Take Care, BAM
This looks incredible! Wish I could try this.
Thank you Asmita. I bet you could make this with scrambled tofu and eggs as well instead of turkey.
It’s hot where I live, too! The meatballs sound really good!
I think that is why we should drink more of those yummy cool and refreshing aperol Sparklers. Thanks for stopping by. Take care, BAM
My girls have been complaining when we buckle them in, so your “branding” comment really made me chuckle. It’s been super hot here too, so I’d like nothing better than a sip of your aperol sparkler.
You would think that the car companies could invent something after all of these years so we did not have branding devices for seat buckles. Ouch! Maybe you make the kiddie version of the aperol sparkler for your girls. Stay cool! BAM
ohhh myyyy gooodness!! BAM! That looks absolutely delicious!! haha.. and yeah I only wish the weather is a little warmer. It’s supposedly summer here in Vancouver but I only see rain
haha.. anyway! Miss visiting your blog!!
Thanks for your nice comment Sammie. Mother nature seems to be quite cruel in all parts of the world right now. Too hot or too cold or rainy. Any one out there enjoying a perfect day with a blue sky with 70 degree F weather and no humidity?
what an absolutely fun Idea!!!
Tempratures are getting crazy everywhere, lets hope we all get some cool and nice whether soon!!
Thanks Ream. Sending positive thoughts and cool breezes your way. Take care, BAM
Your post is great, those Italian Balls of Fire look delicious, but i can’t get past the statue!!!!!! It’s hilarious!!!!!!!!!
I thought the picture of David might get some attention. You know that in the museum in Florence you cannot take a picture of the actual David just the glowing pink guy in the park outside. Thanks for stopping by my website so that I could find yours.
Didn’t know that….! Its sooo funny! And a bit, hmmm, sad maybe, seeing that statue as the statue of David the way Michelangelo saw it…
I love the drink! I have added the aperol to my shopping list for next year
Hi Bam! I hope you are getting some relieve from the heat! It’s been OK here at Houston, though due to the rain, it’s MOSQUITO overload! We are big on using as little poison in/around our household as possible, but the organic bug spray does not deter those pesky bugs, hubby has declared war on mosquito by using the commercial stuff. Ugh…
The potato meatballs look like great fun, I bet they taste delicious and the texture must be interesting to bite into!
I can totally relate. When I lived in Michigan we had two seasons. Winter and then of course mosquito/construction road season. Take Care, BAM
It’s so hot in Singapore that I feel like I’m in an oven most of the time!
The Aperol sparkler sounds like a perfect thirst quencher on days like these. Thanks for sharing the info on Aperol aperitif. It’s the first time I’ve heard of it.
Aperol Sparkler is the perfect summery drink and thirst quencher. Let me know if your can find this liquor on singapore as thus far I have not found it in Hong Kong.
Aperol is now available in Hong Kong at Metadesign-group.com. (for full discolsure i work for the new offical distributor of Aperol in HK, Metadesign Limited)
You have made my day!!!! Thanks so much for stopping by and I will sure to pass the word on. Do you have a minimal shipping charge within HK? Take Care, BAM
OMG, it was potatoes! From the first picture, I couldn’t tell and I keep wondering what it was… and I’m a big potato fan – what’s wrong with me! We can have these dutch potatoes and they are all tiny cute ones. I’d love to try this recipe one day. Never thought of putting potatoes in the middle. I sometimes put quail eggs in it but such a brilliant idea to put a potato!
Quail eggs are nice too but I have to tailor things for my teenagers and meat and potatoes is something they both eat. Most teenagers like potatoes so it is a big hit with the teenage crowd.
Hi Bobbi, I loved your Surprise Balls of Fire so much that I made them yesterday! I changed the whole potatoes to mashed potato-carrot and they are so, so, so delicious! Yum!
Hello Jasline, I am delighted you gave this dish a try. Really, the sky is the limit and I love your idea of addition of carrot. I bet it was really moist as well. Take Care, BAM
This are definitely different, but in a good way, of course! I mean, you gotta love meat and potatoes!
I think this might be the only way to my teenage boys hearts. Meat and potatoes and of course chocolate once in awhile. I hope you are having a fab summer. Take care, BAM
Looks great. I am jealous of your heatwave though, it hasn’t stopped raining all summer in London! Aperol is actually made by Campari, hence why it tastes so alike, it is basically a lighter, more sugary version (it’s my absolute favourite drink).
I have several friends in London and they have mentioned how dismal it has been. Sending you some heat and sunshine your way!!! Thanks for the update on Aperol. They have campari in HK so I wish they would import Aperol, if it is the same company. It is a super refreshing summer drink. Take Care, BAM
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