Family traditions! Aren't they wonderful?

Every Christmas & Easter, some birthdays (upon request), I stand in my kitchen making dolmades. For some reason, I'm not the kind of cook who can pull up a stool to sit on  and cook or chop when things are happening all over the place. It's kind of like conducting an orchestra. By the end of the song you are so moved by what every instrument contributed in such a beautiful way, you wished it hadn't ended. Maybe that's why leftovers are so great!

Dolmades (or dolmas) are stuffed grape leaves. Usually filled with a rice mixture. Some have a rice & mint concoction, while some are filled with ground lamb & rice, or ground lamb/beef with rice. I prefer using just ground lamb & rice, chopped onion, mint, lemon juice; wrapped in nice little bundles with grape leaves and boiled chicken stock flavored with lemon juice.

Now, in wonderful ol'  Victoria, I no longer have to wait for a holiday. I can hop over to my NEW favorite restaurant --- Athena's. Dolmas, spanikopita, gyros, souvlaki --- I am in heaven. Washed it down with some vino and I'm on Cloud Nine.

Their dolmades are a little different from mine (sorry for the slightly inflated ego). All in all, they are very, very good at Athena's. I'll be in there often in my off-season periods of holiday cooking.

I'll still bang the pots and pans around in the kitchen on holidays.  I love to cook. Sometimes, it's nice to be served.

You will get great food at Athena's. Their seafood section is excellent and the variety on the menu is enough to please everyone's palate.