Hot & Spicy Bread and Butter Style Picked Eggs

 

Hot and Spicy

Bread and Butter-Style

Pickled Eggs 

I like to experiment; try and create a taste I think would be pleasing.     

This is a variation on my other pickled eggs recipes for a change of pace.

CONTENTS:

1 to 3  tablespoons of sugar (Depending on taste)*

¼ to 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds*

½ to 1 teaspoon black peppercorns*

½ cup water

1 cup white vinegar

1 small onion, sliced

8 baby carrots sliced lengthwise then sliced again

1 to3 small jalapenos (or 1 Large) seeded*

6 eggs hard boiled and shell removed

DIRECTIONS:

Add sugar, water and vinegar to a stainless or glass pot. Add all vegetables and spices; heat and simmer until sugar is dissolved.

Place eggs into a 1-quart mason jar, add vegetables filling the jar to the very brim. Add the liquid; cap and place in refrigerator for several days for flavor to develop.

To serve: Individually: slice egg in half and place in small dish with accompanying pickled vegetables;

OR place sliced eggs in a small platter, spoon vegetables around sliced eggs, I like to garnish with paprika sprinkled lightly over the eggs and a garnish of fresh parsley, you can also place the eggs and vegetables on top of a fresh bed of spinach.

I like my eggs slightly on the more vinegary and spicy side so I use less sugar and spices, however if you care for the bread and butter pickle taste do use the larger amounts of ingredients as listed.

The complete recipe can be found at: http://www.twentymile.com/Cookbook/patsspicypickledeggs.htm

 

Product Evaluation - So Natural Minute Corn on the Cob

So Natural Minute Corn on the Cob

Contains 2 ears, package net weight 17.64 ounces

Distributed by Transcontinental Foods, Miami Florida, the corn is a product of Thailand

 

 Product evaluation of shrink wrapped corn on the cob. It appears to be cooked corn that has been canned (not in a tin or a glass jar, but in a tough plastic shrink wrap) and has a long shelf life.

The ears approximately 6-inches in length and a good color and texture. When first removed from the wrapping the corn is full of moisture and very plump with a good texture.  Microwave for 2 minutes and the corn is extremely hot and exuding a lot of moisture.  When butter and seasonings are applied the appearance is much that of fresh cooked corn; the taste is very good for such a product, the kernels were plump, and gave way with a burst of juice when bitten.  The taste was sweet and retained that yellow corn flavor; when compared to frozen yellow corn there it is significantly better.  This corn was tender, crisp and juicy. Whereas  its frozen counterpart, would have lost much of its moisture and natural juices; when boiled develop a rubbery or tough texture.

Each package contains two ears of corn. I cooked one of the ears and left the other for a 24 hour period in the refrigerator as a test. I noticed that the second ear had lost a lot amount of its natural juices and the part of the corn touching the plate had flattened; cooking did not plump these flattened kernels and the amount of natural moisture after cooking was less than a newly opened portion.  The taste of the second ear of corn reminded me of reheating an ear of corn previously boiled and left in the refrigerator 3-4 days.  You could still eat it, it tasted of corn but just past it’s time, perhaps removing the corn from the cob and adding it to a soup or stew would have been better.

I would recommend this item for those of you who want a quick ear of corn without the fuss of stripping husks and silk.  It would be perfect for those traveling in motor homes; shelf life is a year or so, requires no refrigeration while unopened and for $1.50 is quite reasonable.  A word of caution; let the ears cool down some before biting into them. Right out of the microwave, they were steaming hot and the hot natural juices could cause severe burns especially to children. If you are a frequent, last minute food preparer and you like corn on the cob, this is a handy product for you. Try it. I think you will like it.

 

Ted Peters Smoked Fish

1350 Pasadena Avenue South

St Petersburg, FL 33707

A landmark since 1951, Ted Peters still packs in newcomers as well as seasoned veterans who are second and third generation customers. Anyone who has been in the area has been drawn in by the aroma of the smokehouse located next door to the restaurant.  You are offered your choice of outdoor seating on picnic tables and benches where sun shades are available to keep the sun at bay; or you can dine inside where air conditioning affords the summer visitors much relief while dining.

The menu features smoked salmon, mahi mahi, mackerel and mullet as the featured entrees; these can be purchased as a lunch with just the fish, or the dinner which is served with coleslaw and German potato salad.  They offer a delicious smoked fish spread in a sandwich or as an appetizer served with saltine crackers. They also offer, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, or hot dogs.  Top your meal off with a bowl of clam chowder and a slice of key lime pie. To quench your thirst you can enjoy beer, wine, sodas or a frosty cold mug of Root Beer with free refills on non alcoholic beverages.

As a first time customer I was offered a sample portion of the coleslaw, German potato salad and the smoked fish spread by our server, Sue.  As coincidence would have it, Sue was acquainted with both my brother and sister in law, but nonetheless her quality service was not only shown to me but to the other tables she was assigned.  She was eager to explain what each fish dish entailed, and as I was served my dinner she also instructed me on how to remove the backbone from my smoked mullet.  Truly our dinner was enhanced by her attentive and courteous service.

I chose the Mullet dinner which came with the coleslaw and German potato salad. Sue told me that my fish portion was larger than usual since it was the time of year they put on weight in preparation for breeding.  Truly my fish portion took up the entire plate and I was eager to try mullet for the first time.  Mullet is a staple fish in Mediterranean cooking. However, I had not heard of it until this trip to Florida.  I was learned that the local fishermen catch an abundance of this fish but that a good portion is frozen for export.

My fish was succulent, fresh and had a nice amount of fat along the backbone, the flesh separated easily from the bones without much effort.  My brother and sister in law are not big fish eaters, so they enjoyed a hamburger and watched me while I devoured every inch of my fish.   The smoking was done to a tee and did not overpower the taste of the fish, it enhanced the flavor.

You can dine in or take out, they are open Wednesday –Monday 10:30-7:30pm, and closed on Tuesdays, prices are modest ranging from $5.59-$20.99.  Ted Peters was featured on an episode of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives a testament to the popularity of this diner.   If you find yourself in St. Petersburg, follow your nose and get ready for a real treat. Remember, cash only, no credit cards accepted.

Hurricane Seafood Restaurant

Hurricane Seafood Restaurant

809 Gulf Way   

Pass a Grille, St Petersburg Florida

 I had the good fortune to visit this Iconic establishment while visiting relatives in Florida.  My sister in law told me of how, when she was a teenager, this was a favorite destination for the young crowd; it has changed much over the years but has never lost its appeal.

From a single story building serving the beach crowd; then a second story to allow for the beach crowd and casual evening dining. Later a unique third story was added which allowed for upscale fine dining adventure and a view of the Gulf.  The main floor serving breakfast, lunch and light dinner fare, is laid back with uncarpeted floors, square tables with captain’s type chairs and the area is open and airy.  You can choose to dine al fresco while watching the beach crowd across the street. 

And speaking of streets; parking will be a chore especially during the peak season, parking slots are metered, but to make life simpler for their patrons, The Hurricane does offer parking directly behind the building at $20.00 per vehicle; don’t faint, you pay $20.00 to the attendant and he in turn hands you a parking slip which you give to your server.  At the end of your meal you are handed back a $20.00 bill or you can elect to have that amount removed from your final bill.  A unique way to keep room for their actual customers.

The Hurricane features a full breakfast menu from 7am-10:50am; including 8 types of bread, 12 sides including such items as diced green peppers, sliced mushrooms, grits (remember you are in the south) and the usual sides some of which are  fries, bacon or sausage etc.  They offer omeletts (their spelling), a two egg sandwich, a quesadilla with sautéed onions, green peppers and your choice of meat, eggs Benedict or maple brown sugar oatmeal just to name a few.

Lunch offers you the full range of items, including appetizers such as “gator bites” tender pieces of lightly sautéed 100% Bayou Alligator; Conch fritters, Grouper nuggets and even fresh Ahi Sashimi.  Salads and soups including the classic Shrimp Caesar or Blackened Salmon to several soup and sandwich combos you can pair with Clam or Conch chowder. Sandwiches include such items as a Crab melt, Grouper sandwich, a grilled portabella mushroom melt or the Hurricane Burger an 8 oz patty grilled on an open flame and served on a corn dusted Kaiser bun.

Sandwiches include your choice of French Fries or coleslaw; I chose the new menu item of Grouper Taco’s( two tacos for $8.99), my sister in law chose the triple decker BLT  for $8.25 and my brother decided on the lunch special, a deep fried Tilapia fillet with fries. Lightly breaded and fried in Rice Bran Oil it was golden brown, moist and very tasty. For a lunch special the portion was large enough for a hearty appetite.  My Grouper tacos were delicious; the fish was fried to perfection and not crusted with heavy batter which allowed you to taste the fish. The Taco’s are served up on soft shells with lettuce, cilantro, tomato and a blend of cheese and a wedge of lime.  I got the coleslaw which was nicely dressed not sweet and not vinegary, to borrow cliché “Just Right”.

My sister in law’s BLT was huge not just because it was a triple decker but because of the amount of thickly sliced bacon on the sandwich.  Crisp lettuce and succulent tomato’s, thinly sliced red onions and per her choice served on Cuban bread, other choices included wheat, rye or Texas toast. She got French Fries which are made from whole potatoes with skin, medium cut and they arrived hot and crispy and lightly seasoned.

The Hurricane offers a wide range of Entrees and Surf and Turf selections along with scrumptious desserts such as Key Lime Pie, Sea Salt Carmel Cheesecake just to name a few.  Of course if you are not into fish they do offer the Land Lovers section which includes steak and chicken.  They have the Twin Roof Top Bar and happy hour is Monday-Friday noon to 6pm.  They boast the Zing Zang Ultimate Bloody Mary which is served with Greek Pepperoncini, pickled crispy beans, marinated green asparagus, olives, lemon and lime slices and a celery stalk.  The glass in rimmed with the Hurricane Steak spice and they boast it is the ultimate salad in a glass.

Souvenir glasses, t-shirts, hats and key chains are just some of the take home keep sakes offered for sale, they serve one to a crowd and also host special events.  Special occasions from Weddings to kids Birthday parties are welcome.  Check out their website at www.thehurricane.com or call them at 727-360-9558, prices range from $3.00 to $30.00 depending on current market value and gift cards are available on line.

OEC Japanese Exprress

O.E.C. Japanese Express

2438 66^th Street North

St. Petersburg, FL 33710

727-345-4088  http://www.oecexpress.com/

OEC Japanese Express is a moderate size establishment located in a shopping plaza located on a very busy corner; difficult to get to. The returning customers attest to it being worth the effort. OEC Japanese Express is exactly what you would expect from a Japanese eatery.  Polished chrome and glass cover the day’s fresh fish ready to be sliced and served in your favorite roll or sashimi.  Immaculate countertops afford the guest to sit in front of the cabinet and watch their order being made or you can sit at a booth or tables.  A few additional tables are available out-of-doors, under the shade of ancient oaks should one desire al fresco dining.

The staff is friendly and attentive and keeps a watchful eye just in case you want something, they don’t overdo it though, so you can dine without interruption.  The menu is quite extensive and offers a wide variety of rolls, sashimi, soup, yakimesi (fried rice or noodles), tempura, appetizers and much more.  Daily lunch specials are available for $6.99 and include a bowl of miso soup or house salad.   They also offer hibachi meals for both lunch and dinner or you could try a bento box; all excellent choices.

I decided to try the Sushi Lunch Special. You get to choose two maikzushi rolls from a selection of over 30 different rolls. A soup or salad is included. I chose the avocado roll and the California roll and miso soup.  My brother opted to get the vegetable tempura also $6.99, this usually comes with white rice but he chose to have fried rice in its place.  My soup was delicious. It included several nice size pieces of tofu, along with a generous helping of seaweed and thinly sliced scallions in a very flavorful broth.  My rolls were expertly rolled and the ingredients fresh and tasty.  The avocado roll was nori side out and the California roll was rice side out with the nori wrapped around the crab and avocado; it was topped with masago, capelin roe.  Wasabi and pickled ginger accompanied the plate and the size was adequate to satisfy my hunger.

The Tempura vegetable platter was delicately battered and nicely golden brown and served with two dipping sauces; one sweet and sour and the other similar to a creamy salad dressing. Both were very flavorful. There was a nice assortment of broccoli, sweet potato and squash in the dish.  The fried rice was alright, nothing special, but ordered out of curiosity to what it was like. 

The offer the usual soft drinks, hot or cold tea and serve beer, wine and sake, they do offer for those of us who are really watching their waistline a “healthy food” choice menu featuring steamed Chicken, Shrimp and vegetables dishes. You can dine in or take out and they do deliver if you live within their delivery area, delivery is free but there is a $15.00 minimum order requirement.  Open Sunday-Thursday 10:30am-9:30pm and Friday and Saturday 10:30am-10:30pm, give them a try I am sure you will be pleased.

My New Pressure Cooker - A New Adventure in Cooking

My New Cooker

 

MY NEW PRESSURE COOKER – A REVIEW

                Growing up in the 1940s and50s I suppose most everyone heard the horror stories about pressure cookers blowing their lids and taking out a ceiling or worse yet scalding the cook.  These stories were firmly implanted in my mind when my brother informed me he had purchased another pressure cooker.  My first thought was, “Oh, no! He might get hurt.” Secondly, he had an electric stove which would make regulating the cooker very tricky.

                He quickly went to work to put my fears to rest and to prove to me that modern pressure cookers have safety features the older versions did not.   He made a video on how to pressure cook ribs which can be found at his website, http://www.twentymile.com/Cookbook/contents.htm and looking at the cookbook section, Pressure Cooker Meals in Half the Time, for the link. So I thought why not, but the more I thought about it the more I began to fret about my electric stove, which is over 30 years old and very temperamental.

                Costco had a Cuisinart Pressure Cooker, 6 quart for $69.00 and it is electric, yes no stove required simply plug in a cook.  I had mentioned this cooker to my son and guess what I got for Christmas? Aha! You guessed it. The trial run was on December 29, 2013 with my son at my side. Our first meal was to be corned beef with cabbage, carrots and red potatoes. Looking back, I would say quite an undertaking for a first time user but none the less quite successful.

Potatoes, Carrots and Cabbage

                FIRST, please read the instruction booklet all the way through, I have a tendency to skim read and this turned out to be my first error.  Timing is everything with pressure cookers and of course in my haste to plug this in and cook I overlooked a simple formula, how to set the timer correctly.  Pressure cooking is based on weight for meats which is calculated by a simple formula; weight x 24 then rounding up to the nearest whole number, so 78 would be rounded up to 80.  Then setting the timer this is where I went wrong. The timer is set in minutes up to 40 then each minute after is 5 minutes and that is how I veered off course.  I overlooked that little bit of information and setting the timer I went past the 60 minute mark and then I added another 10 which I thought was correct. In fact it was only 10.  The timer resets its self at 60 and starts at zero, so I set the timer at 10 minutes when I wanted 110.

                So eagerly we put on the lid and pushed the start button, 10 minutes later it beeped at me; cooking was finished. Next, I learned how to release the pressure the FAST way, by lifting the pressure limit valve to quickly release the steam.  And boy is there a lot of steam; don’t do this under a cabinet; another of the tips to be found in the instruction booklet. Once the steam stopped, in a matter of about 30 seconds, the lid slid to open without any effort and we eyed the contents; yep there sat our four pound brisket with a little cooking from the scant 10 minutes of cooking we gave it.  So this time with calculator in hand we entered the correct cooking time, reset the cooker and started over.

It is time to eat!

                This time when it beeped we were eager to see our brisket. We again opted for the quick release method; not allowing the cooker to slowly cool down in the 20-30 minute mode.  As we opened the lid we were delighted to see a fully cooked and very tender brisket, now time for the veggies.  We removed the brisket and placed in a warm oven and covered with tin foil to keep it from drying out. Next we added 6 peeled carrots, 8 red potatoes and a small to medium size cabbage cut into sections.

                Replacing the lid this time we set the timer for 3 minutes. Yes, that is a correct time. It takes about 10 minutes for the unit to come to full pressure then the additional 3 minutes so total time would be around 13-15 minutes to fully cook the vegetables.  And what a wonderful surprise; they were fully cooked but still retained their crispness and flavor, the flavor was intense nothing was soggy like when you boil, and it surpassed the regular steaming method as well.   The only drawback we found was the capacity of the cooker. You cannot over load the unit or it won’t function. We like leftovers. To remedy this, when I removed the first batch of veggies I simply added another and reset the timer. While we were eating and enjoying the fruits of our labor, a second batch was cooking and ready in 15 minutes.

                My overall rating for this unit would be a sound 10 out of 10, simply for ease of use, ease of cleanup and perhaps the most important the quality of finished product.  It has completely erased my fear of pressure cookers, as the booklet tells you if you follow the instructions you are good to go.  I can think of nothing better than having a complete dinner ready from start in an hour or so, imagine a pot roast succulent and ready to serve in 40 minutes and perhaps served up with mashed potatoes or oven roasted vegetables, all which can be prepared while the main course is in the cooker.

Chicken Cafe - Chicken, Alaska

 

Chicken Café - Chicken, Alaska

September 9, 2006

 The Chicken Café is not on your usual dining route; in fact it’s not on any route to say; unless you are deliberately setting out to go there, you won’t get there.  It is off the Alaska Route 5, the Taylor Highway, where you begin an epic journey along the Top of the World Highway. You can also access it by small plane as there is a small local airstrip.  Since the highway is not maintained from October – March the café is open for business mid March-early October.

The café is on the main road, alongside the general store, bar and mercantile; the entire town site.  Void of any frills or modern conveniences, it reminds you of a late 40s early 50s small diner. This café has been featured on several television specials, the kind of programs that show seldom visited and hard to get to attractions. The Chicken Café proudly boasts that acclaim and being the best food around as well.  Since it’s the only food purveyor around I guess they can safely maintain that boast.

Having spent the night at the Chicken R.V. campsite we were eager for a hot cup of coffee and one of their acclaimed plate-size cinnamon rolls.  Linoleum covers the floors; several booths line the wall and the menu is a chalk board over the main counter.  It’s late in the season and they were closing up soon so the day’s menu choices were limited.  Otherwise, the hungry traveler had a wide choice of items to choose from and all are served trucker style, large portions.

The coffee was hot and the cinnamon rolls warm and they indeed fill the plates. They were oozing with that creamy white, sweet topping common to cinnamon rolls.  The coffee was good, not great, but good and the rolls I found to be a bit much for a smaller appetite, but to a person with a large appetite they would certainly fill the bill.  At another table, down the aisle from us, a couple was having ham and eggs and offered that they had been perfectly prepared.

The owner, a rather boastful lady, proudly proclaimed throughout our stay how impressive she and her establishment were.  Her menu was modest but for the area quite adequate; Hamburgers with a choice of bacon, cheese or the 40 mile variety with a slab of ham; reindeer bratwurst, chili con carne, BLT, hot dogs to name a few.  A small assortment of salads, including chicken and Greek, were offered. All the lunch plates were served with homemade potato salad or coleslaw and a pickle spear.

Prices were within a reasonable range with hamburgers from $8.95 to $14.95, adding a dollar for cheese.  Hot dog plate for $5.95; without salad was $2.95. Salads were $9.95 and a soup and sandwich combo for $6.95.  To top off your lunch she makes homemade pies from frozen ingredients. Since she is not on the main trucking road all items are local, cold-storage or frozen for long mileage transport from the nearby township.  Nonetheless, from gossip supplied by locals, they are mighty tasty.

It’s an experience you need to try, at least once, if ever you find yourself in that area. The nearest “big” town would be Tok Alaska. The next closest would be Fairbanks, Alaska so plan accordingly.  You owe it to yourself to visit Chicken just to say you’ve been there and learn about the name.

The Chicken Mercantile offers souvenirs and other memento of your trip to the far reaches of the Alaskan frontier. The area around Chicken also features gold mining exhibits such as this restored dredge, The Pedro Dredge, an interesting tour. There are no hotels but the area does have a privately operated RV and camping ground.

Smoke Shack - Seward, Alaska

Smoke Shack
(AKA The Train Wreck)
Intersection of Port Ave and 4th Ave
Seward, AK 99664

 (907) 224-7427

 

We arrived early in Seward looking forward to a day at sea and what better way to start off than on a train for breakfast.  We spotted the Smoke Shake as we drove down towards the Marina; we had plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast and decided to give this quaint eatery a try.  Several Pullman cars from the 1940’s are joined to fashion this diner; seats removed and simple plywood seats and tables have been added.  It has tables on both sides and a narrow corridor leaving very little elbow room. 

Rustic to say the least, your silverware is in a mason jar on the tables, there is no padding on the seats and you can feel the cold through the thin metal walls and non insulated windows.  Still in all it was a novel experience, this train carried Military Troops during WW II from Anchorage to Seward.  This small sea side town was home to some fortified installations along the fjord providing advance warning from attack from the sea.
The menu carried the usual fare, pancakes, biscuits and eggs and the prices were modest even for Alaska.   I ordered the two egg breakfast with potatoes and wheat toast, my son ordered the half order or pancakes and Brother Larry ordered the half order of biscuits and gravy with coffee all around to top of our orders.

Coffee is served in large mugs, piping hot; not great, not bad with refills upon request.  Our orders arrived about 10 minutes later.  From my seat I had a good look straight at the cooks, this car had customers on one half and the kitchen occupied the other with no barriers to hinder your view.  The cook was young and worked feverously at preparing the orders, while as far as we could tell was also prepping food for the lunch or perhaps dinner menu.  The hostess took care of the toast while serving and taking the orders.

My two eggs were nicely cooked however the various sizes of the potatoes gave me some overcooked as well as undercooked pieces, my wheat toast arrived almost uncooked and cold.  My son’s pancakes were large but still a bit undercooked to his liking; Brother Larry’s order was so laden with pepper it was almost too much to eat.  Still being up since 4AM and starving we did manage to down almost half of each order.  I left my potatoes, my son nibbled around the outside of the pancakes for the most cooked portions and my brother ate the majority of his biscuits while pushing aside most of the gravy.

Still the ambiance of eating on this historic train was well worth the price; I will say however that the hostess did need to pay attention to her appearance; her skirt was also used as her apron I think since most of that mornings affairs were affixed to the skirt and her hair was a mess.   Would I go back and eat at the Smoke Shack again, sadly no; it offered nothing new or exciting.  The food was mediocre at best and one needed to dress warmly since I don’t think there was heat except that coming from the kitchen.  But one does owe it to themselves if ever in Seward to at least try one meal, just for the experience and just so you can say you ate on an historic train that helped safeguard us during such troubled times.

Cabbage Rolls

STUFFED CABBAGE/DOLMA - DANISH AMERICAN/PERSIAN INSPIRED

Growing up we feasted as children on “Pigs in the Blanket”
an intriguing way to inspire young ones to eat cabbage no doubt. As we grew and became inspired as fledgling cooks we discovered the Danish stuffed and rolled Cabbage. When I married I discovered the Middle Eastern influence and the many versions of our childhood favorite. Below I offer the Danish American version I have adapted for stuffed and rolled cabbage and also a Persia inspired version of the same. Both are packed with flavor and subtle differences I hope you will enjoy.

DANISH-AMERICAN ----------------- PERSIAN INSPIRED

1 lb ea ground beef & pork ------------ 2 lb ground beef or lamb
1 med. Onion diced -------------------- 1 med. Onion diced
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes ----------- 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 8oz can tomato sauce ---------------- 2 TBS tomato paste
1 cup water ------------------------------ 1 cup water
1 tsp paprika ---------------------------- 4 tsp Sabzi Dolmeh
¾ tsp basil ------------------------------- (contains leek, parsley, tarragon,
½ Tsp Mint ------------------------------- cilantro, basil, mint)
½ C Minced Parsley ------------------- 3 tsp ground tarragon
¼ tsp allspice --------------------------- 1 sml can tomato sauce
1 tsp salt & ¼ tsp pepper -------------- Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked rice -------------------- 1 cup par-cooked rice
1 head green cabbage ------------------ 1 head green cabbage
1 Lemon --------------------------------- 1 Lemon
Sour Cream ----------------------------- Sour Cream

As you can see the majority of ingredients are the same withsubtle differences, but here the technique differs; the Danish American version
calls for cooking the meat mixture raw in the cabbage while the Persianinfluenced is pre cooked and finished in the oven. The Danish American version
can be finished on the stove top (steam cooking) or in the oven (dry heat
cooking). Since the Persian inspired is
pre cooked I have only completed it in the oven. Both steam and dry heat produce a good
tasting cabbage.

DANISH AMERICAN:
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except cabbage, tomato sauce, water
and lemon, mix well. Core Cabbage and place in large pot of boiling water.
Remove leaves as they wilt and become pliable and allow to drain. Place a generous amount of mixture on each leaf (leaf size determines amount of filling) fold stem end over and fold in sides, roll up and use tooth pick to secure if needed. Place seem (tooth pick) side down in a coverable roasting pan.

Continue until all mixture is used.
Depending on size of pan used you can place a second layer of rolls if needed.

Squeeze the lemon on top of the rolls, combine the tomatosauce and water and pour over the rolls, cover with aluminum foil and bake in a
350 oven for 1 1/5 hrs or until rice is cooked.

Remove from oven, place rolls on serving platter, thicken remaining
sauce with corn starch and serve table side if desired. Garnish with lemon slices and dollops of sour cream.

** This dish can be made on the stove top, use a heavy bottom pot, line the bottom with discarded pieces of cabbage. Place rolls seam side down in layers and add the lemon and tomato/water mixture. Cover tightly and simmer over a low flame until rice is tender. Test for doneness
by carefully unrolling a top roll and test the rice.

PERSIAN INSPIRED: Place Sabzi Dolmeh in cheese cloth/a fine mesh sieve or large tea strainer and add warm water to cover. Let stand about 15 minutes, cook the rice to
al dente and sit aside. Sautee onion and meat until cooked and onion is transparent.
Drain and add Sabzi Dolmeh spice to mixture and stir and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the diced tomatoes reserving the liquid and add tomatoes to the meat mixture with the tomato paste and par cooked rice and cook an additional l2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.

Add cored cabbage to boiling water and remove outer leaves as they become loose, sitting aside to drain. Place a generous amount of meat mixture (depending on leaf size) and
fold stem over and fold in sides and roll.
Place seam side down in a coverable roasting pan; continue until all mixture is used. Combine the reserved liquid from the tomatoes with the can of tomato sauce and pour over the rolls.

Add the water to cover the bottom of the roasting pan, cover with aluminum foil and place in 350 over for 45 minutes. Remove rolls and serve with
lemon slices and sour cream.

You can order the above spices at Penzey's Spices.

http://www.penzeys.com/