Frankly French

• The French have a way with steak. Bearnaise sauce is the classic accompaniment to beef. Create a gourmet slider by resting a slice of rare beef tenderloin steak on French bread. Top with bearnaise sauce. Be inspired by boeuf au pomme frite. Wrap a small slice of steak around a few French fries. Fasten with a toothpick to keep the little bundle together. Another option is to spear steak chunks and offer a dipping sauce of spicy Dijon mustard.

Italian Inspired

• Italians serve steak a variety of ways. Miniature bell peppers and cherry tomatoes make lovely little vessels to stuff with steak. Another idea is marinating cooked steak cubes with fresh basil, a splash of red wine vinegar and olive oil along with fennel seeds and chopped garlic to give the steak bites an Italian flare. Another option is offering a thin slice of steak on top of a broiled baby portobello mushroom. Or wrap very thin slices of raw beef steak around shavings of Parmesan cheese, capers and chopped parsley with a few drops of olive oil. Sear the little bundles in hot oil for a minute or two.

Sensationally Southwest

• The hearty flavors of the Southwest -- cumin, cilantro and jalapeno peppers -- accent steak well. Tuck slivers of seasoned sirloin steak into a mini corn tortilla along with a dab of chipotle sour cream for a bite-sized taco. You could also use the dipper-shaped, commercially prepared corn chips instead of mini corn tortillas. Another option is sauteed steak strips, onions and peppers enfolded in a flour tortilla to make fajitas. After the steak and vegetables are wrapped in the tortilla, cut the fajita into bite-sized servings.

Asian Influences

• Asian flavors include garlic, ginger, cinnamon, soy sauce and rice vinegar, so use those flavors for your Asian steak appetizer. Saute a whole teriyaki steak, cut into cubes and drizzle each cube with a little extra sauce. Another option is a spicy Thai inspired steak. Serve slivers of steak over shredded greens in individual shot glasses. Dress the salad with a mixture of lime juice, chives, cilantro, fish sauce, garlic and red chili sauce.