3 lbs of 93 lean ground beef (You can substitute with lean lamb or lamb/beef or chicken breast or lean pork)
1 T Garlic Powder (You can substitute with minced garlic)
4 t Salt (Preferably Kosher)
1 1/2 t Ground Black Pepper
2 t Oregano (You can use fresh minced oregano)
1 t Thyme (You can use fresh minced thyme)
1 t Basil (You can use fresh minced basil)
1 t Marjoram (You can use fresh minced marjoram)
1 T Ground Cumin
1 1/2 T Red Wine Vinegar
6 T Olive Oil (Virgin or extra virgin, it's all good!)
Soft Pita Bread (I made my own a couple of times, with and without the pocket. I have since picked up soft pitas from Walmart, in the bread aisle, Joseph's Greek Style Pocketless Pita. They are off-the-chain!)
Tzatziki Sauce (I made my own once. It was good. I have since picked up a prepared tzatziki sauce from Walmart, in their deli section, Marketside Tzatziki Style.)
Onion, halved and sliced thin (You can use red, yellow, or the white variety. I prefer the flavor of yellow onions.)
Tomato, halved and sliced thin (You can use any variety. I prefer beefeater tomatoes.)

Optional items:
Fresh Dill
Feta Cheese
Shredded Iceberg Lettuce

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Combine the ground meat, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, basil, marjoram, cumin, red wine vinegar, and olive oil in a mixer (Kitchenaid with the scraper attachment). Mix for 10 minutes, Scrape the mixer blade, Let the meat rest for 5 minutes, mix for another 10 minutes, and scrape the blade again. (The rationale behind the mix times and the rest times is mixing breaks the meat down and the restresting lets salt and vinegar sink in.)

Press the meat mixture into a loaf pan, ensuring that all air is pressed out. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, with the dull side out. Place a baking pan on the bottom shelf of the oven for drainage and place the loaf pan on the middle shelf, centered over the baking pan. Bake for 90 minutes. Pierce the foil, lay the loaf pan on its side, for draining, and bake for another 30 minutes.

Remove the meat from the pan and let it rest on a cutting surface until it is cool enough to handle. Slice the meat thinly, doing just enough for a gyro at a time.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan, on medium. Place slices of meat in the pan and fry each side for a few minutes, or until lightly browned.

Warm a pita in your desired way (I have a glass-top stove and will place a pita directly on the burner, on low, warming each side).

Spread the center of the pita with tzatziki sauce, atop the sauce with slices of onion and tomato, and lay the slices of meat on top. This is where you add the optional ingredients. Be generous with the meat and toppings, your mouth will appreciate them.

Fold in half and feed in your face!

Repeat for additional gyros, for your face or others'.

Enjoy!

IMAGE NOTE: I have attached a royalty-free image of similar gyros. I'll include a picture of mine one day when I have time between cooking and eating.

A post from the Cheesecake Lovers Facebook Group appeared on my Facebook feed. The post talked about how to fix a crack in the middle of a baked cheesecake. I requested to join the group because I may have some insight to prevent a cheesecake crack from forming in the first place. Plus, I had some ideas for making non-traditional cheesecakes.

I commented and, a week later, my comment had not been reviewed by the group admins. I copied the text from the post and my comment, withdrew my comments for review, unfollowed them, and left the group. There's no point in being a part of a group when you're not part of the group.

Here is the content from the post and my comment (I did not include the video link; I wasn't about to provide them additional click-traffic for an active/inactive group):

From T. C.

So many of you have asked how I fill in the crack with a spoon and hot water. Here’s a little video to show how easy it is to save your cheesecake. A crack is not a big deal. Keep rockin’ those cheesecakes!!!

**Make sure the cheesecake is fully chilled and set before attempting to fix the crack! This will NOT work on a warm cheesecake!!

From Me

My first two cheesecakes, decades ago, were by recipe. After the first two, I got the gist of them. I've made hundreds over the years and never had a crack in any of them. No fancy pans or special ovens were used to make any of them; conventional ovens, springform pans of different sizes and depths, lots of parchment paper, and shallow baking dishes. I currently have a deep-dish gingerbread cheesecake with a graham crust in the fridge (scratch), no crack; it was baked at a lower temperature and for a more extended period so it would cook completely through. My previous cheesecake was a peanut butter cheesecake with OREO Cookie crust (also, scratch), no crack. I've never had that problem. Out of curiosity, how did the crack form?

My Post:

I just scored some fresh rhubarb! The plan: pick up some fresh strawberries, cook and reduce the rhubarb and strawberries separately, make two separate cheesecake mixes, and alternately, pour rhubarb and strawberry mixes over a cinnamon graham crust, bake it at a lower temp (because the fresh fruit may release extra liquid) so the cheesecake sets. for all of my cheesecakes, I taste the mixes before adding the eggs: 1. Because it is tasty. 2. That is the last chance to make sure consistency is right. 3. Check to see if it is too sweet or not sweet enough. I'm totally not a professional baker, I'm an OCD baker.

Note: Since this posting, the named Tiktok users may have removed their videos. Rationale remains, even if the video does not.

Note: Since this posting, the named Tiktok users may have removed their videos. Rationale remains, even if the video does not.

There are so many products on the market that claim to be spicy and hot; most don't live up to the category.

Companies like Nissin, Nongshim, Mrs. Renfros, Pace, Hillshire Farms, Hormel, and Johnsonville actually bring the heat. When they say "Hot" or "Hot & Spicy", they're for real. Others lay claim to having Flaming Hot, Extra Hot, Hot, Hot & Spicy, Spicy, Flamin' Hot and XXTRA Flamin' Hot products when they really don't and are a waste of money, if you're looking for that delectible sting.

Truth in advertising: Companies claiming heat should feature a heat rating, the Scoville scale, so consumers that look for the heat won't be disappointed after their buying products.

Some companies showed up to the game strong, bold and truth, then snuffed themselves out. e.g. Frito Lay now cowers behind the Flamin' Hot platform. When you have a good thing, stick with it; Don't suck.

Really?

Really?

2 C Dried beans (whatever tickles your fancy. Red, Navy Black, Pinto, etc. You can even combine different beans.)
2 t Salt
2 t Baking soda
Enough water to cover beans, plus 2 inches more water.

Combine everything and bring to a rolling boil. Stir, set aside, and cover. Let the beans sit for one hour.

Part Two:

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

1 C ketchup
1/4 C Sriracha Ketchup
1 t Mustard
2 T Liquid mesquite smoke flavor
1/4 t Salt
1/4 t Celery salt
1/4 t Onion powder
1/4 t Garlic powder
1/4 t Black pepper
1/4 t Celery seed
1/2 t Ground ginger
1/4 t Thyme
1/4 t Coriander
1/4 t Oregano
1 C Light brown sugar
1/2 C Dark brown sugar
1/2 C Molasses
1 t Vinegar
8 C Water

Rinse the beans and the pot the beans were soaking in. Bring the beans and 4 C of water to a boil; boil for 15 minutes and set aside for one minute. Drain the beans, KEEP THE BEAN WATER, place the beans in a deep oven-safe pan.

Put the bean water to the original pot, add the remaining ingredients to the pot, bring to a boil, then set aside.

Put 2 C of bean water with the beans and put them in the oven. Set timer for one hour.

Stir beans in the pan, stir the bean mixture, add 1 C of the water to the pan, and set the timer for another hour. Repeat until all of the bean mixture is used up.

This is where you can experiment: Adding crumbled bacon, minced ham, minced onions, and over flavors. Stir in additional flavors.

Set timer for 2 hours. Done!

If the beans are still liquidy, stir and leave in the oven for 30 more minutes. Repeat until beans are the desired consistency.