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9

'

Inventive cooks
are redefining
the art of
skewer-and-grill.

ro

ANNABEL COHEN

Special to The Jewish News

fierce it, thread it, stab it or skewer it
and toss it on the grill. Any way you
kebab it, it's a great and easy way to
cook this summer.
Some call them shashlik. Others refer to
kebabs as spiedini, souvlakia, satays or brochettes,
as well as other names we'll probably never learn.
Ever since prehistoric man first stabbed meat with
a stick and held it over fire, it's likely been the
most popular cooking method. And eons later,
after microwaves and convection ovens and forks
and knives, little can compare to the gratifying
flavor of bite-sized morsels lightly charred over an
open flame.
What has changed, however, is what makes up
the meal on a stick. What was once limited to
raw flesh with a few unimaginative vegetables has
turned into endless variety and countless varia-
tions. Inventive cooks are pushing the limits with
heretofore unheard of combos. Caesar salad on a
stick? Why not?

Len Mazor is as innovative as they come when
preparing a kebab.
"If it's in my refrigerator or cupboard," he said,
"chances are it's been on a skewer and grilled,
especially since I usually don't shop for food. I
come home, I'm hungry, and I make do with
whatever. I've even grilled leftovers."
Mazor and Lynn Deitch are perpetual kebabers
at their Birmingham home. "I finally hooked up a
gas line from the house to the barbecue so I
would never run out of fuel," said Mazor. "Now
we can cook on the spur of the moment and
fast."
He doesn't depend on fixed plans.
"I don't have recipes, I have inspirations," he
never over-think a kebab. If I have time, I
said.
marinate. If I don't, I just season at the last
minute with just a little kosher salt and pepper or
whatever salad dressing, mustard or sauce I have
in the house.
"Sometimes, when I make fruit kebabs, I just
brush a little melted jam or preserves over the
fruit the last minute or two of cooking. Because
you're seasoning each bite of food, the marinade

doesn't necessarily have to soak into a big hunk of
meat. Besides, just the cooking over a flame gives
food a fabulous flavor — everything else is a
bonus."
When it comes to food variety, Mazor's reper-
toire is infinite. From appetizers to entrees and
side dishes to desserts, his only rule is, keep it
Simple.
"I don't stack 12 different things on a skewer,"
he said. "First of all, most foods take different
amounts of time to cook; a potato takes longer
than zucchini. And I always cook chicken longer
than fish.
"Secondly, I like how a skewer with one or two
things looks; you can really see the pattern."
Given a choice, Mazor opts for metal skewers,
which come in a variety of artistic designs. "They
hold up under the intense heat of the grill and
you can fit more food on metal skewers," he said.
"Bamboo ends tend to burn and break and,
unless I serve a crowd, the food looks 'so interest-
ing on the metal skewers."
Although Mazor seldom uses recipes for his
kebabs, most of us feel better knowing at least