Syrian kabobs!!!!

I went to three BBQs this weekend. Three! At BBQ 1 I made some Syrian kabobs that were so good that I'm including the recipe. I served them with yogurt on lavosh bread. They did stick to the grill and try to fall through, though so I would recommend grilling them on foil perhaps. And as far as the spice goes, if you don't have those spices and don't want to drop a ton of money on big bottles that you'll never use again, go to the co-op and spend mere pennies on the bulk spices. If you've never done this, try it. It's really a great deal.

2 pounds fatty ground beef, like chuck
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2/3 cup minced onion 2 teaspoons salt
Juice of 1 lemon ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 dashes cayenne
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1/3 cup pine nuts
Oil to brush on grill rack
Lemon wedges and pita bread, for serving.

1. Combine all ingredients but oil, lemon wedges, pita and salad in a bowl, and knead very well into a paste.
2. Hold a flat metal skewer - not nonstick, and at least 12 inches long - point up in one hand. Dip other hand in a bowl of water, take a handful of meat mixture and form it around base of skewer in a small sausage shape with pointed ends. Repeat, working your way up the skewer. Each skewer should hold three or four kebabs. (You can also just form meat into eight patties.)
3. Lay finished skewers on a sheet pan, and smooth kebabs with fingers, making sure they are fairly smooth and secured on skewers. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
4. Prepare charcoal grill, or turn gas grill to medium-low. Spray or brush oil on clean grill rack, and set within a few inches of the fire. Fire should not be too hot, and rack should be at least several inches from heat source.
5. When rack is heated through, gently squeeze the kebabs to be sure they are secure on the skewers, and place skewers on grill. Meat should start sizzling gently; it should not spit and turn black. Cook undisturbed until deep brown, at least 7 minutes. When meat lifts easily from grill, slide a spatula under kebabs and turn over. Continue grilling until browned on both sides and juicy, but cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes total. Serve hot with lemon wedges and pita that has been warmed on the grill. Put a few spoonfuls of salad in each pita with meat.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings (8 skewers).