Caesar Salad

A classic, Caesar salad's creation is generally attributed to restaurateur Caesar Cardini. His daughter Rosa shared that her father invented the dish when a dinner rush depleted the kitchen's supplies. Cardini made do with what he had, adding the dramatic flair of table-side tossing 'by the chef'.

Recipe Ingredients:

Salad:
3 heads romaine lettuce

Dressing:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
5 flat anchovy fillets, packed in olive oil, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:
1 cup croutons, preferably made from French bread
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Directions:

1. Discard the tough outer leaves from the lettuce. Tear the remaining leaves into large bite-sized pieces, or leave whole for traditional nibbling out of hand. Wash the lettuce under cold running water. Transfer to a salad spinner and spin to remove as much water as possible. Pat dry with paper toweling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to several hours to crisp.
2. To make the dressing, in a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, cheese, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, anchovies, and garlic, and whisk to blend well. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover, and refrigerate for up to several hours.
3. To assemble, in a bowl, combine the chilled lettuce, croutons, and dressing and toss well. Sprinkle with cheese and cracked pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.