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Small bites, big flavors

Diners increasingly are embracing "nibbles" from all over the world. So we asked four local chefs to concoct some appetizers that reflect this local-global trend.

Bill Ward, Star Tribune
Last update: March 31, 2006 – 2:26 PM

Those of us who gurgle over the 12th ounce of that New York strip or the last morsels of that big ol' hunk of gooey chocolate cake might beg to differ, but for most fine diners circa 2006, Mirielle Giuliano's words are a mantra:

"The pleasure in most foods is in the first few bites."

Giuliano's "French Women Don't Get Fat," the nation's top-selling food book in 2005, extolled the virtues of small bites, from both health and sensory standpoints.

The French are hardly alone in believing that good culinary things come in small packages. Anyone out there still think sushi will be a fleeting fad? Or tapas? The dim sum of China, meze from the Middle East, Italy's antipasti and "street food" from throughout the Third World are all here to stay. The world is flat, gastronomically speaking.

Tanya Siebenaler of Minneapolis’ Sapor Café and Bar made this chicken b’steeya.

Tom Wallace, Star Tribune

That's not news to anyone who has spent time at local chef-driven restaurants of late. At the turn of the 21st century, Twin Cities appetizer lists were laden with the usual suspects: wings, nachos, poppers, etc. Solera, the Minneapolis hot spot whose menu begins and ends with tapas, was just a gleam in Tim McKee and Josh Thoma's eyes. Today, menus all over have inventive, delicious small bites, and a few even include pre-appetizer "amuse" listings.

"It seems like everyone shares, everyone's sampling," said Nancy St. Pierre, co-owner of one of the Twin Cities' hottest restaurants, 112 Eatery. "I always wondered if our restaurant was different that way, but I see it everywhere. It's definitely happening more than I've ever seen before."

Home entertainers and caterers have operated under this assumption for years. For them, the canapés of the '50s and '60s are not back -- they never went away. But the Franco and American offerings from cocktail parties of yore have been augmented by intensely flavored "finger food" from all points on the globe.

Easy does it -- or not

Among the advantages of such dishes are that they can be very easy to make (prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, manchego cheese topped with quince paste) or can involve more elaborate preparations. Professional chefs focus on flavor -- and a lot more.

"Texture is just as important as taste," said Doug Flicker, chef/co-owner of Minneapolis' Auriga restaurant. "Texture, color, shape and size all factor in. With smaller bites it's easy to do two opposing flavors or textures. My food is on the subtler side, so two matching textures might work."

Tanya Siebenaler, chef/co-owner of Minneapolis' Sapor Café and Bar, adds another factor: "I do like to have a mix of textures and sometimes a mix of temperatures," she said.

It all might sound complicated, but Flicker, whose restaurant was probably the area's first to have "amuse" listings, said it's "a lot easier" than concocting a main-course dish. "With entrees, because of the price and what people expect, you end up putting other things on the plate," he said. "You look at a $20 entree, and if it's not large enough and complex enough, people wouldn't think it's a good deal. For that price, people expect it to have components on it. Small bites are much easier because you can focus on a single item or two."

Flicker's smoked-salmon ravioli (see recipe on this page) is an apt example, consisting basically of two distinct items, plus seasonings and a garnish. That's also the philosophy behind sushi and especially tapas; simply perusing the menu at a high-quality tapas restaurant such as Solera can give even inexperienced cooks some good ideas for entertaining.

'Looky' here

For the aesthetically inclined, there's more good news: Small bites generally are visually striking.

"It's easier to make a smaller bite look good, because you can get away more with starkness," said Flicker. "You put a smaller dish on a large plate, and that makes a big impression. It focuses and frames it a little better."

That doesn't mean that a chef can just plop any ol' teeny-tiny dish onto a plate and have it pop visually.

"The smaller a dish gets," said Siebenaler, "the more you want to make it enticing, more beautiful, get a lot of colors in there. In a larger dish, you would have more food to create that effect."

But let's face it: In eating as in life, good looks go only so far. Most any cook would trade a bevy of "ooh's" and "ahh's" for a couple of "mmmm's."

Bill Ward • 612-673-7643