When planning dinner parties, deciding what finger foods to serve with the aperitif should never be an afterthought. If your h’ors d’oeuvres are lackluster, your guests may lose faith in the main attraction. And so I was delighted by Nathalie Benezet’s “Le Petit Paris,” a little book about French finger foods, dainty and delectable. Benezet grew up in a family of restaurateurs in France and proudly draws on her roots by miniaturizing French classics. In bite-sized portions, essentials like steak tartare, prunes in crispy bacon, cheese gougères and steak au poivre offer bursts of flavor and excitement. While desserts like chocolate tartines and Grand Marnier truffles make for decadent crowd pleasers, their recipes are shockingly simple. And that’s the key: no-fuss recipes that will keep your guests looking forward to the main course. Try the recipes for crustless quichettes and coarse pork pâté.
