Who doesn’t love a Caesar Salad! This Quick & Easy Caesar Dressing at home will become your go to when you have the craving for a Caesar Salad.

Pair the Smoky Chipotle Cedar Plank Salmon the sweet and spicy chipotle paste glazed onto the salmon goes so well with the dressing.

What’s in the Post?

• Hail Caesar…Cesare Cardini!
• Desperate Times Calls for Desperate Measures
• Presented Tableside
• Making It At Home
• Recipe

Hail Caesar…Cesare Cardini!

You will find Caesar in many restaurants around the world. The balanced dressing made of garlic, anchovy, dijon and olive oil is finished with parmesan is a hit in Italian restaurants. But guess what…the salad and it’s famous dressing was first made in Tijuana, Mexico.

Casare Cardini was an Italian immigrant who arrived in America in 1913. Prior to his arrival his three brothers had already come to the U.S. and established themselves as restaurateurs. Nereo opened a restaurant in Santa Cruz, California. On the other hand, his other two brothers Alessandro and Gaudenzio were restauranteurs in Mexico City after first coming to America.

Desperate Times Calls for Desperate Measures

It is believed that Alessandro was Casare’s partner in his Tijuana restaurant, Caesar’s Restaurant & Bar. Their decision to open the restaurant in Mexico was largely due to the constraints of prohibition. Due to alcohol bring available, people were traveling over the border to get what they couldn’t have in the U.S.

Casare Cardini is credited with inventing the Caesar Salad in 1924. Because of the prohibition tourism flooding Tijuana, his restaurant benefited greatly. His new salad became a hit and began to grow a following.

Presented Tableside

Although it has become scarce, you can still find Caesar dressing made tableside in some restaurants as it was originally done. A wooden bowl is used to mash garlic, anchovy, dijon & an egg yolk together with a dousing of worcestershire sauce. Then olive oil is drizzled in to bring the emulsification together. Traditionally whole leaves of the hearts of romaine are tossed with the dressing then it is plated and topped with parmesan.

Originally the Caesar salad was thought to be invented as a finger food but evolved into a plated salad. Either way you want to toss it, guaranteed the flavors will be amazing!

Making It At Home

As time has passed, the traditional recipe has had additions and tweaks, Caesar’s own brother took his recipe and made it his own laying claim to being the first to create the recipe.

This recipe is as I learned to make it in restaurants decades ago, it has the addition of red wine vinegar and lemon juice. These ingredients add to the volume of the dressing while adding additional acidity.

Making Caesar Dressing at home doesn’t have to be a production as the tableside version, unless you want it to be. Sometimes, you may get the craving to have a salad with a piece of salmon or chicken.

Using a food processor or a kitchen bowl, you can put together this dressing in minutes. Place, garlic, anchovy, dijon & egg in a bowl or food processor. Mash or process the ingredients together to begin the emulsification.

Add in a dash of worcestershire and add in some red wine vinegar and lemon juice. Whisk or process to combine. Drizzle in the olive oil whisking to create the emulsification. Continue whisking while drizzling to keep the oil from separating. Finish with parmesan and black pepper to taste.

In a bowl, toss the Quick & Easy Caesar Dressing with some romaine lettuce, homemade croutons, with some additional grated parmesan with enough dressing to coat.

Remember, it is better to start with less, you can always add more. Plate your salad and add a lemon wedge and some grape tomatoes to the side.

For a twist, top with some Fried Prosciutto as garnish and added crunch.

Serve with some grilled chicken or Smoky Chipotle Cedar Planked Salmon and Enjoy!

Find other Vinaigrettes and Salad Dressing to toss with your favorite greens!