Before starting any skewer recipe, submerge skewers in water and let them soak for at least a half hour. This will prevent them from burning when you put them on the grill.

Coconut Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers
Makes 36 skewers

Ingredients:
1 large fresh pineapple
Cut of top and bottom of pineapple
2 Tbs. red curry paste
1/2-cup canned coconut milk
3 dozen large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Instructions:

1. Remove meat from pineapple by running a knife along the skin to peel it, quartering the fruit lengthwise and then cutting close to the core of each piece to remove the flesh. Cut the meat into one-inch cubes.
   
2. In small bowl whisk together curry paste and coconut milk. Set aside.
   
3. Thread one shrimp and one pineapple chunk on to each skewer.
   
4. Baste with curry sauce.
5. Cook about 4-5 minutes per side until shrimp is opaque. Turn frequently and continue to brush with sauce.

Note: Curry paste is a mixture of dried chilies, garlic, cumin, lemon grass, coriander and shrimp paste and curry powder is a pulverized blend of up to 20 spices, herbs and seeds.

Scallop Skewers
Makes 30 skewers

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2-inch finger of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2-cup rice wine vinegar
1/4-cup soy sauce
1/4-cup light miso
15 clean scallions cut into 2-inch lengths, using only the pale green and white sections of the onion
About a pound of sea or bay scallops

Note: A paste of fermented soybeans used as a flavoring agent in much of Japanese cuisine, Miso ranges from dark and strongly flavored to light, smooth and delicately flavored.

Choosing scallops:

• The sea scallop is the largest and usually includes 20-40 per pound.
  
• The raw meats are creamy white in color and sometimes slightly orange due to the food (algae) they consume. Scallops have a distinct, sweet odor when they are fresh.
  
• The bay scallop resides in bays and estuaries from New England to the Gulf of Mexico. Its muscle reaches about one-half inch in diameter and you usually find about 50-90 in one pound

Instructions:

1. In small bowl, mix first five ingredients to make sauce.
   
2. Assemble skewers by placing one scallop (or two-three bay scallops) and one piece of scallion on each skewer. (These skewers can be prepped a day ahead and kept chilled in the fridge, then grilled a few hours before party time and kept warm until serving.)
   
3. Brush with ginger soy sauce and cook about two minutes per side or until just opaque. Be careful not to overcook scallops or they'll get a rubbery texture.
   
4. Continue to brush with sauce throughout cooking.