Today was perfect for making dolma. It was slightly sunny, but more dreary and windy. Time moves strange at the end of the year, partly due to things winding down and the fact that it’s completely dark by 5 p.m. There’s no equilibrium, no balance, or center.

Sometimes you need the right dish to make you feel whole (and full) again. So when I caught my mom cooking up a storm in the kitchen, I grabbed my camera.

This is the “kharn” or “mixed” version of dolma, which is traditionally made in grape leaves. The art of dolma making should be taken seriously – it’s not for any novice. It takes just the right kind of weathered, but strong hands to roll those grape leaves into perfection, preferably between gossip breaks with other women and copious amounts of “soorj” or Armenian coffee.  For this version you scoop out vegetables, like squash, eggplant, tomatoes and onions and fill them with a herb, spice, vegetable and rice mixture, leaving them to cook for a very, very long time.

This version also has ground meat, but because I don’t eat meat (cue Aunt Toula from My Big Fat Greek Wedding), these are the perfect vegetarian pick-me-up.

Of course, dolma isn’t unique to just Armenian culture. The Greeks, Turks, Azeris, and other groups of Middle Eastern origin include it as a staple in their cuisine. Even with its varied background scattered in the region, it always have the same impact, the comforting feeling that everything is going to be ok, at least until you finish your dish.

I like to eat dolma with barbari, an Iranian bread, a fluffy flat bread that will leave you speechless. Trust. I’m not dealing too well with the 5 p.m. getting dark thing, as well as the fact that my birthday is in 2 weeks, so the dolma did wonders. Of course, now the danger is I’m going to have to keep eating it to sustain euphoria.