Caesar Salad

The first recipe I ever memorized was my mom’s Caesar Salad dressing. Her olive oil and egg yolk base was so different (to me) than all of the other salads I had tried. As I got older and started to experiment in the kitchen, I tried out different bases for my Caesar Salad and fell in love with the creamy effect of store-bought mayo in the dressing. Although I love my mom’s recipe, I think mine is just a tiny bit better. The richness of the mayo, the salt from the parmesan and citrus from the lemon make for my ideal dressing.

Crouton Trick - Use everything bagels. The bagels are already pre seasoned (we’ll still add more) and you’ll be left with a crispy but slightly chewy crouton after it absorbs some of the dressing - delicious!

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (& more for garnish)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 Tbsp grainy mustard

1 tsp worscheshire

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp anchovy paste

1 clove of garlic

1 tsp tarragon

Blend all ingredients.

Croutons:

2 everything bagels

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp seasoning salt

2 cloves of garlic

Dice bagels into crouton size of your choosing. Drizzle with olive oil & add garlic and spices. Mix to coat each piece thoroughly. Broil at 400º F for 8 minutes tossing every 2 minutes.*

*These croutons will still be slightly chewy. If you prefer a completely crunchy crouton, Bake at 400ºF for 15 minutes.

Assemble:

Combine 2 heads of chopped romaine lettuce with croutons and dressing. Top with shaved parmesan and fresh cracked pepper. Serve with a lemon wedge.