That's what my wife says every time we make anything with skewers for the family - just like the poor Ralphie's mom from A Christmas Story. After the meat and vegetables are eaten, the skewers are instantly transformed into pirate swords by my children. I am a boy at heart and while I would much rather see them pretending to conduct music with them rather than take on Captain Jack, I have been guilty of being a skewer pirate myself. (By the way, we use stainless steel, flat skewers - no wooden, pointy ones in my house. Someone would get hurt for sure!)

This brings me to an important topic - what are the best skewers to use for kebabs? There are so many skewer varieties wooden to stainless steel, flat to pointy, and even from cheap to pricey. Which are the best skewers for kebabs?

Like many cultures, the Middle East does have it methods of fortune telling. It's called fal reading and it involves reading one's future based on the tea leaves or coffee grinds left in one's cup after drinking. Outlandish to some, but tassography, or fal, has been in practice for centuries!

In the Middle East, Turkish coffee is most often used to tell a fortune. There are "experts" in the field of fortune telling, who can reveal what your coffee grinds say about your future. Read more about Turkish coffee fortune telling...

_{Photo (c) Nick Willsher}

Many people have yet tasted the foods of the Middle East. In fact, it may seem exotic for some! Many spices and herbs used in Middle Eastern cooking aren't commonly found in western food.

If you are a fan of Middle Eastern cooking, why not have a Middle Eastern food tasting party? You could serve several mezze (appetizers) with drinks of your choice!

Why not start of with several types of hummus and warm pita bread? Also, stuffed grape leaves make a great addition. Try the vegetarian version for your vegan friends.

I would also serve falafel, which is one of the most popular Middle Eastern foods. You can't forget a salad like tabouleh or fattoush, which are tasty, classic salads.

For dessert, baklava makes for an excellent accompaniment to Turkish coffee.

Tired of the same fried or steamed vegetables? Why not stuff them? In the Middle East, stuffing vegetables with meats, rice, and spices is a regular on families' menus. Stuffed eggplant is one of my favorite Middle Eastern dishes. It's easy and takes very little time to prepare. It's even better the second day!

More Stuffed Vegetable Recipes:

• Stuffed Squash
  
• Traditional Stuffed Grape Leaves
  
• Super Easy Stuffed Grape Leaves
  
• Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves