There are many claims as to who invented Caesar salad. Caesar Cardini was born near Lago Maggiore, Italy, in 1896. He and his brother Alex immigrated to the US after World War I. The Cardinis lived in San Diego, but operated a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico.
On July 4, 1924 the salad was created on a busy weekend at Caesar’s restaurant. It is said that Caesar was short of supplies and didn’t want to disappoint the customers, so he concocted this salad with what was on hand. To add flair, he prepared it at the table. The salad was instantly popular and people flocked to the restaurant just to enjoy it.
And though there are different versions to the story, improvisation like that happens often, both in restaurants and in our home kitchens.
It’s a good thing it does, or we wouldn’t have hits like this. I kept this salad pareve, but feel free to add Parmesan cheese or grilled chicken to round out either a milchig or fleishig meal.
1 (12-ounce) bag spring mix lettuce
1 red onion, sliced
Homemade Croutons:
1 loaf French bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch paprika
Dressing:
2 eggs whites
3 to 4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch coarse black pepper
1/2 cup oil
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Prepare the croutons. Cut French bread into thin strips and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic powder, fresh garlic, parsley, salt, and paprika. Bake until golden and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside.
2. Prepare the dressing. In a food processor or using an immersion blender, beat egg whites with garlic and purée until smooth. Add lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper, and pulse again until smooth. Slowly add in oil and blend until emulsified. If dressing is too thick, add a bit of water to thin out.
Yield: serves 4
For more great recipes, check out this weeks issue of Whisk by Ami
