Dolmas (Dolmathakia) With Lamb

Now that I know how simple dolmas are to prepare, I suspect I'll be making them more often. I followed the basic recipe HERE substituting lamb for the beef and pork. The most difficult part is standing for an hour rolling 60 dolmas (for me anyway, rheumatoid arthritis and all) but when I tell you this is easy, I mean it. You don't even need to pre-cook the rice. My husband cautiously bit into the first one and them proceeded to eat a couple platefuls. He insists they are every bit as good as restaurant ones, if not better. He's not the type to lavish flattery, so I'll take him at his word. I have not tried any as I've been a bit on the queasy side lately (yes, I do recognise the irony in maintaining a cooking blog when I am for the most part, unable to eat. Cooking has always been more of a hobby where the enjoyment comes from the doing, rather than the consuming. If it ever began to feel like a labour, I'd stop and let Mr. Goody feed himself, which he's fully capable of doing (and willing-he also enjoys cooking).

A word of warning about the odour of grape leaves-they stink. No more than any other brine-preserved item, I suppose but tossing them in boiling water really wafts the fragrance around the house. It dissipates quickly, but still-brace yourself.

I cooked them in my large enamel overcast iron pot we call "Big Blue" and then transferred them to cool and store in my mother's blue casserole dish we call "Not As Big Blue." What? You mean to tell me you don't name your cookware? What's wrong with you people?