Small Plates:

Joanna Lefebvre

Whether served up as antipasti, dim sum, tapas or mazza, the small plate concept is hotter than ever. Highlighting flavors from around the world, the latest cookbook by Marguerite Marceau Henderson—Small Plates: Appetizers as Meals—is a mouthwatering compilation of recipes inspired by exotic flavors.

Small Plates—both the cookbook and the preparations—emphasize fresh ingredients, ease of preparation, and visual appeal. What's more, they double as a practical approach to haute cuisine without requiring expensive cuts of meat, foie gras, or caviar. The approach also lends itself to items with sound nutritional profiles, if that's what's desired.

Categorized into seven chapters— Breadstuffs, Meat and Poultry, Pasta and Grains, Sauces and Salsas, Salads, Seafood, and Soups and Stews—Small Plates: Appetizers as Meals explores inventive selections for bite-size dishes. Stunning color photography makes dishes like the Cranberry-Ginger Stuffed Brie, Lamb Riblets with Minty Red Wine Sauce and Free-form Ravioli with Crabmeat and Shrimp irresistible.

Small plate presentations entice diners curious about flavor and adventurous about taste.Try small plates as a theme meal. Or, double any of the more than 100 recipes and serve the dish as a full-size entrèe.Try featuring small plates as a unique concept for a display cooking station or made-to-order station.

However the concept might fit into your cafè, Small Plates: Appetizers as Meals is a worthwhile resource on this unique—and trendy— style of cuisine.