That Good

I’m coming down from the high of an incredible weekend in South Carolina. I’m going through beach, food and all-together loveliness withdrawal. Dave and I headed down for our friends Eric and Signe’s wedding. It was truly beautiful. I was so impressed with all the personal touches E&S incorporated into the ceremony – from journals as party favors to cigar-box centerpieces overflowing with gorgeous green plants. One of my favorite things about the wedding was the food. It was all locally sourced, and all delicious. We had crab cakes and shrimp and grits, chicken stuffed with feta and spinach, butternut squash ravioli and the most exquisite simple salad of mixed greens, Mozzarella and basil. And the red velvet cake: oh, the red velvet cake.

Even though they weren’t in season, I was able to score a bag of boiled red peanuts on the road from this guy Boiled peanuts are the best Southern staple I can think of. Salty and soft, they remind me of porch swings and Bud Light Limes at Dave’s beach house on the Isle of Palms.

I’ll be sure to post pictures from our Southern journey soon. In the meantime, I thought I’d give you this recipe for classic Caesar salad inspired by two New York staples: Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo. Nobody does comfort Italian food better than these guys, as the perpetual lines outside their two Brooklyn establishments, Frankie’s 457 and Prime Meats, indicate. I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of their Kitchen Companion, on sale in June. While I can’t wait to try all of the recipes in their book, I was particularly taken with their recipe for Caesar salad dressing. I’ve always wanted to make homemade Caesar salad, but feared the process was reserved for stuffy maitre’d’s and people who knew how to make raw eggs safe to eat (I am not one of those people). This dressing doesn’t use eggs at all, but instead relies on good old-fashioned Hellman’s mayonnaise, white pepper, and Pecorino Romano cheese for flavor. A few drops of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce provide a subtle punch. It could not be simpler to make: all the ingredients are thrown into a blender, and the result is a creamy, silky dressing that rivals anything you would get in a swanky restaurant.



I’ve heard that a truly good dressing is one you’d want to drink all by itself. Well, this dressing is that good. I confess I “tasted it for flavor” by the spoonful. That being said, Caesar dressing – and any salad dressing - should be drizzled lightly over greens. Every leaf must be covered, but your salad should never be drowning in liquid - however delicious that liquid may be.

I decided to try my hand at making croutons, too. Because what's Caesar salad without croutons? I had a day-old whole wheat baguette that I put in the oven at 350 degrees for about seven minutes. Then I cut it up into squares, and toasted everything in a pan over medium heat with olive oil and chopped garlic. The croutons added substance to the lettuce and made for a pretty hearty meal. They weren't hard as rocks, as many croutons tend to be, yet still maintained a crunchy, toasty texture.

A sprinkle of grated Pecorino Romano and a generous squeeze of lemon juice were the perfect finishing touches. This salad makes a great appetizer and a surprisingly filling lunch.

Simple Caesar Salad

Whole Wheat Croutons
Ingredients
Day-old whole wheat baguette
1 Tbs olive oil
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast baguette for roughly 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Chop bread into bite-size pieces. Heat olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sautee for one minute. This will infuse the olive oil. Garlic burns easily, so be careful not to overcook. Add bread pieces to pan and toast for five minutes, making sure the bread is coated evenly on all sides. Remove from heat and let cool while you prepare the dressing.



Caesar Dressing
Adapted from The Frankie's Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual

Ingredients
1/3 c grated Pecorino Romano, plus additional cheese for serving
1/2 c Hellman's mayonnaise
1/4 c water
1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp Tabasco
8 turns freshly ground white pepper
Fine sea salt, if needed (this dressing will already be quite salty because of the red wine vinegar and Worcestershire)
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine 1/4 c of the Pecornio Romano with all the ingredients, except the black pepper, in a blender and puree 'til the dressing is smooth. If you don't have a blender, mince the garlic and whisk them together with the rest of the dressing ingredients. Taste and addL salt if necessary; loosen the dressing with water if needed.

Drizzle lightly over crisp, chilled Romaine hearts. You'll likely have a large portion of leftover dressing. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over greens. Toss and serve.