Recipes
Caesar Salad
Perhaps, by now, every Caesar Salad aficionado knows that this famous salad is the namesake of Caesar Cardini who, in 1924, owned a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico where this mixture of soft-boiled egg, Parmesan cheese, and lettuce leaves was first dressed with red wine vinegar and olive oil. However, many people don't know that it was actually an employee of that restaurant, a young Italian man, Livio Santini, who first put these ingredients together, just as he had watched his mother do while he was growing up in Austria. Beatriz Santini created this dish in 1918, using what was available when that country was impoverished by war.
As the story goes, Mr. Santini was hungry one day and put together a bowl of his mother's salad when a wealthy American woman wandered into the kitchen and thought the salad looked good. She returned to her table to order it and Mr. Cardini, not knowing what Mr. Santini was eating, had to go back to the kitchen to inquire. A week later, the salad appeared on the menu and was thereafter prepared tableside to an audience of happy patrons. The Caesar was born.
The Caesar, as it is affectionately known, has spawned many versions since then. This is Towny's version, pretty close to what is thought to be the original, but without the egg and with the controversial anchovies. His rendition is so good that it is always requested at get-togethers and it would not be an exaggeration to say that people race to fill their plates with his Caesar. His enormous and well-seasoned salad bowl always returns home empty.
- 3 hearts of Romaine lettuce (wash and pat dry)
- 1½ teaspoons + ¼ cup good extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
- 5 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Juice of a half of a lemon
- 1/3 cup Reggiano parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- Freshly ground pepper
- Croutons
In a mortar & pestle, crush garlic with sea salt and 1½ teaspoon of the olive oil until you have a paste. (Alternatively, use a garlic press or finely chop, then mix with salt and olive oil.) Put garlic paste, finely chopped anchovy filets, Worcestershire sauce and mustard in the salad bowl.and wisk to combine. Add vinegar and whisk. Then whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Add lettuce, croutons, grated cheese and the juice of a half a lemon. Toss very well to coat all the Romaine leaves. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Croutons
This is a great use for day-old bread.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lower oven rack. Cut bread into 1-inch squares (or so), place in bowl, and drizzle with olive oil (or a combination of olive oil and vegetable oil) until the pieces of bread are just coated. Arrange pieces, in a single layer, on a cookie sheet. (Cover cookie sheet in foil first for easier clean-up.) Sprinkle with sea salt and any other seasoning you may want. Place in lower third of oven and cook to suit your preference, about 20 minutes. Keep in an airtight container.
Wine pairings- White: Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc
- Other: Rosé from Provence
