I really thought that Caesar salad had something to do with an conqueror. But it doesn’t.
The Caesar salad actually isn’t a very old recipe at all. The story (one of several) is told that it was created on a busy 4th of July weekend when the kitchen was short on food. So as not to disappoint his customers, Caesar Cardini (an Italian-born Mexican) hurriedly created what was first known as the Aviator Salad. To make the salad appear that the menu was planned with forethought, Caesar assembled this classic salad at his customers’ tables.
Though not prepared tableside, this salad is a frequent accompaniment to our meals. We typically create a modified version of the original recipe that the Hottie wooed me with when we were dating.
Caesar Salad (only if you use ALL the ingredients)
(Call it a Jodi Salad if you go with only the NECESSARY ingredients)
- wooden bowl
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- dash Tabasco sauce (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- raw egg {ONLY if it is from a healthy bird that you could go visit} (optional)
- 2 pounds romaine lettuce, washed and dried
- 8 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese (good cheese is a must)
- croutons (optional)
(By the way, the Hottie strongly disagreed with me listing certain ingredients as optional. To him – they are not optional. To me – if I am making this salad with 3 kids running around and a baby slung on my hip – they are optional.)
Press garlic bulbs into wooden bowl using a fork.
Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard in the bottom of the bowl.
Add optional ingredients lemon juice, Worcestershire, egg, and Tabasco sauce. Work combined ingredients up the sides of the bowl so that the mixture doesn’t remain concentrated at the bottom only to drown the lettuce leaves.
Toss washed and torn lettuce leaves into the bowl, making sure to thoroughly coat the romaine.
Garnish with croutons and Parmesan cheese.
