Ingredients

• Grape leaves
• Ground lamb
• Rice
• Salt and Pepper
• Cinnamon
• Tomato paste

• Mix the lamb with raw rice in a ratio of 2 (meat) to 1 (rice).
• Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon and don't be afraid of the cinnamon.
• Optional additions are a generous handful of fresh, minced parsley and/or a chopped tomato.
• Rinse the grape leaves (assuming they're in brine).
• Remove the largest part of the center leaf vein.
• Many of the leaves that come in jars are large enough to cut in half.
• Put about 1 tsp. of mixture onto each leaf and roll like a burrito, i.e., wrap up the sides, turn up the bottom, and continue to roll until its similar to a little cigarette.
• Tuck each one neatly into a heavy pot.
• Place them close together so they won't fall apart.
• Continue until you have lost patience.
• You should have at least 50 of these, and this is using about a pound of meat.
• Any leftover meat mixture can be frozen or added in a little aluminum foil package to the cooking pot.
• Make a thin sauce by stirring a spoonful of tomato paste into some warm water.
• Cover the stuffed grape leaves with this thin sauce.
• Place a saucer on top of the leaves, so they won't float.
• Simmer for 30 minutes or so until the leaves are tender and the rice is cooked.
• Serve hot or cold.