I L-O-V-E these. They go by two different names in Italy. When I was in Sicilly, they were called arancini (or little oranges), but in Rome they are called suppli al telefono (translated as telephone wires, probably because the stringy cheese reminded them of the wires???). In Rome, tho, they tended to be smaller and had ham (prosciutto, of course) in them, as well as being made with either Mozarella or Provolone, depending on the vendor.

In Sicilly, they tended to be bigger, and the risotto was cooked with saffron, giving them a hint of orange color on the inside, too (hence the arancini name, or so I was told).

A simple suggestion here: fry them in olive oil (not extra virgin, just olive oil) and add a bit of red pepper flakes in the risotto, before frying (I had one like this in Sicilly and found it to be the best).

Nogard13, I saw them in Rome as arancini. They were seriously yummy regardless of what they're called!

Oooo I love "rice bawls"! If you're in Brooklyn, try the rice balls at Esposito's Pork Store on Court Street in Cobble Hill. They're legendary!

arancini are sicilian, made with 'white' (with butter and pecorino) or saffron risotto (typical of Palermo), and green peas and carrots, with a heart of minced meat.
they are not exactly round, but more cone shapped.
suppli are roman, and are oval in shape, done by using a ragù (better known as bolognese sauce) risotto, and mozzarella in the centre. (from here the term on the telephone, as nogard13 said).
but the whole point of these fried rice balls is to use all leftovers.
so next time you make risotto, may it be with mushrooms, asparagus or what not, make an extra batch that you can then use to make your own original version of suppli.

The now defunct Oakville Grocery markets, in the SF Bay Area, used to make a risotto pie (leftover risotto, butternut squash or sausage, peppers) and pat it into a cake pan and baked it off in the oven. I loved it hot, cold, room temperature. I've tried duplicating it for years but just can't seem to quite get the same results (as though I'm missing an ingredient or two). I'd love to get it right just because it has less fat than frying. Anyone ever heard of this method?