These tangy pork kebabs are rubbed with garlic and dry herbs, and basted with a vinegar wash. A regional favorite of New York State's Southern Tier, their name derives from the Italian spiedino or spiedo ("skewer" and "spit").
Tsukune (Japanese Chicken Meatballs) make a terrific party snack. These meatballs have a sweet glaze of mirin, soy, and ginger. Look for flat skewers at Asian markets, or use two skewers for each group of meatballs so they'll turn easier.
The sweet-sour marinade is cooked down to a syrupy glaze that's brushed on the salmon as it cooks. The citrus and maple flavors would also be tasty with pork. Garnish fillets with orange slices, if desired.
Caribbean-influenced shrimp, skewered with sugarcane and basted with a dark rum glaze, rely on high heat to caramelize the glaze and infuse the shrimp from the inside out with the cane's mild sweetness.