Dolma

About two weekends ago I made some dolma (meat stuffed cabbage).  I see from my blog that about a year ago I made some, and I was "Meh!" for the recipe. Gosh, I don't even remember making it.  It was that unimpressive!  But.....I did some recipe scouring (a/k/a recipe immersion where I consider all options and do my Frankenstein recipes...grabbing a bit of this, and that from various recipes).

I emerged from my immersion and elected to make this recipe:

http://howtoexpo.com/recipes/stuffed-cabbage-rolls-dolma

I did a few things differently.  (1) substituted beef for pork/veal/beef mix (which I saw in another recipe and would recommend); (2) I put diced tomatoes  and V8 juice in the pot. I think that my Nanny used diced tomatoes and tomato juice, but I never have that on hand.  I figured V8 would be a fine substitute.  It was.  The seasonings were perfect, and I would not change a thing (from my adaptation).  Also, my Nanny would put this in Pyrex dish and cook in the oven.  I used the stove top method, and I would stay with that.  I also cut part of the bottom core out of the cabbage and put the whole head in salted boiling water, removing the softened leaves with a pair of tongs and laying them in a pan.

The aroma from the pot was wonderful.   I did not have yogurt, but I did have sour cream.  I will definitely make the suggested accompaniment (yoghurt/garlic).  Frankly, I don't remember these being served with such an accompaniment at our house.  But....I cannot imagine NOT eating them with such.  They really were that good.

I had leftover meat and cabbage (as the cabbage head got too small to roll).  I just chopped up the remainder cabbage and threw the meat mixture in the pot. 

Now, though I consider myself a good cook, I rarely swoon over anything that I make.  Well...I swooned over this dish...as did the men-folk.  It actually tasted as good or better has what my Nanny made.  This will be my go-to recipe (with changes that I noted).  I so appreciated Marriette publishing her video.