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Sometimes food needs to look like fun to catch our attention. Food on a stick does that. Reminds us of fairgrounds or street food in foreign lands. In some cultures,skewered chunks of food are called kebabs or kabobs, satay, or teriyaki. In others, speidini might be nicknamed speidies when translated stateside.
While beef and the outdoor grill immediately come to mind when food is put on a stick, there’s no need to be imperious. Chicken or pork will do. So will an indoor broiler, especially if outdoors winds are whipping or rain slashing. Other times, no cooking is needed, just string a batch of strawberries and pineapple or other fruit interspersed with leftover pound cake. Maybe drizzle the whole with some homemade chocolate sauce and call it dessert. Better still, call it a feast.
Bamboo skewers need about 30 minutes of soaking before they hit the heat so they don’t burn.
SPEIDIES
Makes 4 servings
1-1/2 pounds trimmed pork loin, cut into 1-1/4-inch cubes
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
5 tablespoons finely chopped mint
5 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 10-inch long Italian or sub rolls, split, toasted, and cut in hal
Author and culinary school teacher Linda Bassett provides recipes for and tips on the season’s freshest ingredients. She is the author of "From Apple Pie to Pad Thai: Neighborhood Cooking North of Boston." Reach her by email at KitchenCall@aol.com.
