Smoked Mozzarella

Firing up the barbecue doesn't have to be a production of epic proportions; there are measures that can be taken, just like in any other cooking method, to have something on the table in under 30 minutes. Make inexpensive Summer corn the star of the meal as the fresh topping on a wheat pizza, utilizing pantry staples like canned black beans, barbecue sauce, and smoked mozzarella to play supporting roles. It'll be ready when the toppings have melted together and the bottom's been graced with grill marks. For the recipe, keep reading.

A couple of weeks ago I read an article on the Atlantic's food blog that recommended making a grilled skewer appetizer with smoked cheese cubes wrapped in pancetta. The story reminded me of a delicious tapa I had years ago in a Spanish dive bar. Anxious to re-create the dish, I headed to the store and purchased thinly sliced pancetta and smoked mozzarella. There's really no recipe, you simply wrap a 1/2-inch cube of cheese with pancetta, skewer, and place on the grill. This is where I ran into trouble. The cheese melted before the pancetta could fully cook, sticking to the grill. I transferred the skewers to a frying pan to try and salvage them, but the cheese continued to melt, clumping together. While the final bite tasted wonderful, the technique needs some fine tuning.

Do you have any advice for getting the pancetta to cook before the cheese melts? Have you ever made cheese skewers?