This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Hail Caesar!

Enjoy a fresh Caesar Salad the Easy way!

 

July is named for Julius Caesar and coincidentally is a perfect time to enjoy a cool, crispy Caesar Salad. Especially since Caesar Salad Day falls in this month. As is often the case with famous foods the salad’s invention has several claimants. Caesar Cardini, an Italian-born, Tijuana, Mexico restaurateur, is most often credited with the salad’s creation. But both his brother Alex Cardini and his partner, Paul Maggiora, have also declared themselves its originator.

Find out what's happening in New Canaanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

I’m just glad that someone came up with such a delicious blend of flavors!

Find out what's happening in New Canaanwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

In my “salad days” of cooking I swore by the “Joy of Cooking” Caesar Salad recipe, which called for mashing together of a number of ingredients to make the dressing. The list included Worcestershire sauce, a garlic clove, red wine vinegar, dried mustard, anchovies, lemon juice, a coddled egg, and homemade croutons among other things. I followed directions to the letter. Back then it was not uncommon to have a Caesar made fresh at tableside in nicer restaurants. In recent years the only place I’ve come across a tableside Caesar is in my home, where my husband wields a mean set of salad tongs.

 

These days I prefer my Caesar preparation to be easier. So much so that I came up with a Deconstructed Caesar which can be made fresh in just about 5 minutes. It appears in one of my touchscreen cookbooks for busy people, and is pictured here. 

 

Other ways to keep things easy are ordering yours when you eat out and buying a pre-bagged Caesar at your local supermarket. While I confess to taking both avenues to enjoying my favorite salad, some concerns have been voiced by foodies, health enthusiasts, and even eco-hawks about the latter method.

 

Pre-packaged salads can contain weeks-old lettuce, which may account for that “bagged” aftertaste that comes along with the convenience.  Since the lettuce is older it has probably lost some of its nutritional value, too. On this point I must say that even the “fresh” lettuce in supermarket produce sections has suffered some nutritional degradation during its journey from the fields to the store produce case. Finally, most bagged salads are now triple washed—possibly over washed—meaning that water may be wasted. This can be particularly damaging to our environment in states like California and Arizona where much of our lettuce is grown and water shortages are a frequent concern.

 

From wherever your Caesar hails, savor the taste of this amazing creation.

 

Photo Courtesy of Easy Weekly Meals

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?