The Kaleidoscopic Appetizer Course

banh mi, canape, colorful appetizer, best appetizer, easy appetizer
all-color appetizer course
bánh mì canapés

toasted french bread, sriracha aioli, cinnamon meatloaf,
pickled pink radish, cucumber, pickled carrot, cilantro
green jalapeño, diced red jalapeño, yellow marigold petals

kaleidoscopic appetizer
Silent Auction Donation by Taste With The Eyes

Donation to the Rolling Hills Country Day School Parents’ Club Social:

  • A seven course seasonal gourmet dinner catered in your home
  • Each course incorporates unique ingredients for a one-of-a-kind menu
  • Invite members of your circle of friends to enjoy dinner along with members of the school’s administration and faculty for a total of 16 people

Meant to kick off our recent Fundraiser Dinner with a riot of color (menu here), these wild-spicy-vibrant bánh mì canapés left no doubt that the evening’s menu would be all about intense flavor and hue, captivating the eye as well as the palate.

The appetizer course, which we plated on a couple large trays for guests to help themselves, was a kaleidoscope of color. Then, when the guests were seated for dinner, each individual course was conceptualized as a single-colored dish. Purple, green, yellow, pink, black, orange. How different from the previous post, the monochromatic black course!

 bánh mì canapés
recipe

 cinnamon meatloaf crostini

  • 1 lb. extra lean ground beef
  • 1/4 lb. lean ground pork
  • 2 T. fish sauce
  • 2 t. ground cinnamon
  • 1 T. brown sugar
  • 1 T. corn starch
  • fresh ground pepper, a generous grinding

In a large bowl combine fish sauce, cinnamon, brown sugar, corn starch, and black pepper. Add ground beef and mix well. Form beef mixture into an oiled terrine. Take the ground pork and tuck it in along the middle of the beef mixture. This technique will give the meatloaf its jazzy two tone coloring. Compact and shape the meat into a smooth loaf, pressing down on the edges to form a slight dome shape. Bake covered at 350°F for about 35 minutes, then uncover and cook 10 minutes longer until the meat is thoroughly cooked. Let rest for 10 minutes then remove the loaf from the terrine, let come to room temperature, refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut the cinnamon meatloaf into thin slices.

cinnamon meatloaf, pate

  • toasted french baguette slices, brushed with olive oil
  • sriracha aioli (mayonnaise, sriracha hot sauce, minced garlic)
  • cinnamon meatloaf
  • sliced seedless cucumber
  • pickled carrot ribbons
  • pickled small globe radish slices
  • green jalapeño wheels
  • small-dice red jalapeño
  • cilantro leaves
  • marigold petals

Spread aioli on the toasted baguette. Layer each slice of bread with meatloaf and vegetables. Scatter the top with green jalapeño wheels, and a sprinkling of diced red jalapeño, cilantro leaves, and marigold petals.
colorful appetizer, banh mi appetizer, canape

Thank you to the talented team who made the dinner a success –
FA, Bill, Gail, and Marlene.
And once again acknowledging our magnanimous hosts, John & Tracy.

6 thoughts on “The Kaleidoscopic Appetizer Course”

  1. It doesn’t get more colorful than that. I always manage to have some red and green on my plate. It insures a tasty meal!

    I really love the ‘color’ concept for the menu. I hope I have an opportunity to do it with some friends one day.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.