"Dennis Rekuta" wrote in message
...

Julie: Is it the garlic? You can't really get around that in most of the
middle-east and Indian sub-continent. It is as ubiquitous as air in most
of the food from that part of the world. You could skip the yogurt or
yogurt-garlic sauce and just go with the other condiments if you could
get by the garlic in the meat. The meat in the Greek gyros may be more
coarsely ground than in a Donair or doner, but that probably depends on
the chef, or the parents who taught them if it is a family operation.

I don't like garlic, but it's the texture of the meat I can't stand. The
stuff we get around here is very chewy.

You could probably make the kofte/kofta yourself without garlic and
grill them or bake them. There are a lot of recipes around, but you
really can't come close to restaurant quality gyros/donair/doner at
home. Shawarma at home is not that difficult. Instead of stacking the
meat slices on the vertical spit, you simply grill them after marinating
them. You then stack some slices on a cutting board and cut them into
strips. In effect, the meat ends up in pieces just like you would get
from slicing downwards on the vertical spit.

Shawarma or even grilled kofta calls for some form of tahini sauce if
you can't handle the garlic sauce (aioli), and a nice smear of chili
paste helps. Condiments can be tomato (grilled is nice), pickled veggies
(turnip or hot peppers), thinly sliced onions, and even chopped parsley
or cilantro. Pita bread is optional.

Sounds like Chicago vs. New York vs. Coney Island hot dogs . (Yum!) Food
is Fun!!! So many nations, so little time.

Well, maybe I will try them then. Just so long as they don't have avocado
in them. Hehe!

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