Darr Caesar

Caesar salad is a pretty straightforward food, or at least not one that I would immediately think deserved its own article.  To be honest, the first thing that pops into my head when someone says Caesar salad is a McSalad Shaker. I loved them.  I guess they came out sometime when I was in middle school, and naturally I was easily hooked on creamy dressing and salty shreds of cheese served in a plastic cup.    I think I liked them so much because they were so different than what I was used to in terms of salad. At that point, my twelve year old palette did not fully appreciate the childhood of homemade vinaigrette and fresh croutons, and the novelty of “shaking” my salad overtook any of the culinary merit possessed by the salads I ate at home.

At some point I started reading the nutrition labels on the packets of creamy Caesar and realized that I could not continue my intake of McDonald’s salads if I wanted to live to the age of thirty.  It also helped that good old Ronald discontinued them-- guess he knew what was good for me, too.    Yes, I know there is always a fat-free Italian option, or a lower calorie balsamic, but frankly, they taste like shit.  Furthermore, if you are eating a fast food salad, you need an opaque dressing to hide the sad, lifelessness of the actual salad.   

When I make Caesar salad now, I like to make what is known as “Darr Caesar.” This is the Caesar salad I grew up on at family dinners, full of garlic, sharp cheese, and richness stemming from origins devoid of mayonnaise, chemicals, and artificial flavors.   My mother taught me how to make this, and I think I've got it down.  I would serve this to anyone, even a picky eater.  If it’s “too much” for them, they are weak.

Darr Caesar Salad (serves 4)

Croutons

Baguette, cut up into ½ inch cubes

¼ cup olive oil

Salt & Pepper

How many croutons you make it up to you. I used about 7 inches of baguette for 4 people. I sliced it in half, then cut it into 4 spears lengthwise, and cut up the croutons from there. Toss the croutons with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, spread them out on a baking sheet, and put them in a 400 degree oven for about 12 - 15 minutes.  Watch them, however, as everyone’s oven is a little different. You also may want to give them a stir part-way through. Mine came out with a slight chew at 12 minutes, which I like.

Dressing

1 clove of garlic, minced (put it through a garlic press if you have one)

½ cup olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

½ tsp of black pepper

Couple shakes of Worchestire sauce (optional)

Whisk all these ingredients together.  You may want to add more lemon juice, depending on how juicy the lemon is. I might hold off until the end, however, as you can always add it after you toss the salad.

The Rest of the Salad

3 hearts of romaine, chopped, washed, and dried

1 cup shredded Pecorino Romano (I love Pecorino de Cacio from Whole Foods, always have a wedge in the fridge)

Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl.  I usually need to add a little more olive oil, lemon juice, or a few extra dashes of Worchestire sauce. It all depends, just add what you like to taste, and keep in mind you can always add more, but you can’t take away. I always add some fresh cracked black pepper, too.  Be prepared to taste garlic possibly even after you brush your teeth the night you eat this, and possibly even detect hints of it the next morning.