Conflicting stories about the origins of this classic salad abound, but a certain consensus maintains that Caesar salad was created in 1924 by restaurateur Caesar Cardini at Hotel Caesar's in Tijuana, Mexico. Julia Child, in her cookbook "From Julia Child's Kitchen" wrote that she enjoyed the salad with her parents at Caesar's in 1925 or 1926. If Julia was convinced, then I am convinced that his was the original. I am however inclined like thousands before me to tweak that original just a bit. I like to make a smooth emulsion of the dressing ingredients in the blender, replacing the original Worcestershire sauce with anchovies and a most unconventional splash of balsamic vinegar which has become almost as much a staple in West Coast kitchens as that bottled sauce used to be.

(Serves 4 )
For the Dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 large egg, coddled in boiling water for 1 minute

4 anchovies from a freshly opened jar or can

1/2 cup

For the Salad:

2 large heads romaine lettuce

34 cup olive oil (not extra virgin)

2 cups French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional salt, to taste

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.) To make the dressing, put the lemon juice, vinegar, egg and anchovies in a blender and run the motor until the mixture is smooth. With the motor running on low speed, gradually stream in the olive oil to make a smooth dressing.

2.) To prepare the greens, cut the base off each head of romaine. Pull off any browned or damaged leaves and cut off any brown edges. Lay the head on a cutting board and cut it lengthwise into strips, about 1 inch wide, then cut across the strips to make 1-inch x 2-inch rectangles. Plunge the cut lettuce into a sink full of cold water, swish it around, then lift out the leaves leaving any soil or debris behind. Spin the cut and washed lettuce until it's dry then put it in a wooden salad bowl, cover it with a damp paper towel and refrigerate until just before serving time.

3.) To make the croutons. Heat 3/4 cup of the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until the oil is hot and just beginning to smoke. Fry the bread cubes in batches until deep golden, 15-20 seconds per side. With a slotted spoon to transfer croutons to a plate, sprinkle with kosher salt and set aside.

4.) At serving time, toss the lettuce with the croutons, half the cheese and the dressing. Distribute the salad evenly between salad plates and sprinkle additional cheese over each serving.

Copyright, Greg Atkinson, 2008