It's hard to surprise me, culinarily speaking. I've pretty much eaten it all.

But at a party the other night, my girlfriend, Bonnie Judd, presented two dishes that made me go "Huh." They weren't all that complex, but they were just unusual enough to spark comment all around the table.

The first was a pupu recipe she's had for years and had never before tried; she can't recall where she got it. We all loved it: grilled shrimp skewers with black olives and orange sections. The olives soaked up the smoky heat and the oranges charred slightly. Oh, yum. She was nice enough to share the recipe, and she offered some tips that you'll find at the end of the recipe.

SHRIMP, OLIVE AND ORANGE SKEWERS

• 12 medium shrimp

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

• 1 tablespoon orange juice

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 medium oranges, sectioned into 24 pieces

• 24 black olives, pitted

Peel and devein the shrimp. In a large bowl, stir together the oil, vinegar, orange juice, basil, red pepper and salt. Add the shrimp and toss to coat with the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, tossing once or twice.

Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat the broiler. Remove the shrimp from the marinade. Reserve the marinade. Thread the skewers in this order: orange section, olive, shrimp, olive, orange section. As you thread the shrimp, bend them so that the larger end nearly touches the smaller end and the skewer passes through the body twice.

Arrange the skewers on the grill or broiler rack. Grill or broil, turning them often and brushing them with the reserved marinade, until the shrimp turn pink, about 6 minutes.

Makes 12 skewers.