Wooden bowl, rubbed with garlic, coddled egg, smashed anchovie,worchestershire, juice of a lemon and olive oil! Add Romaine and toss.
However I have also made "bottled Ceasar"...I use egg beaters...1/4 cup, a crushed clove of garlic and a T. of anchovie paste from a tube. add the juice of a fresh lemon 1/2 cup of olive oil....1/4 cup grated Parm and 2 tsps worchestershire. Shake well and serve on Romaine....and the leftovers keep for a week in the refrigerator!
Linda C

1. Use only baby hearts of Romaine. Cut off and discard the green, leathery tips and the overly-crunchy tails.

2. Chill the chopped lettuce well before tossing with the rest.

3. I've had a gazillion Caesar salad dressings made at some of the finest restaurants and in good homes and they're all different and mostly "okay". I actually prefer the bottled dressings especially Cardini's, but Newman's Own and Annie's Naturals are pretty good, as well. If the salad is going to be served as a side to something heavy, I squeeze a little fresh lemon juice into the dressing.

4. I don't like grilled fish or meat in a slab on top of the salad. Looks good but it's actually difficult to cut and eat. I liked grilled salmon, halibut, shrimp, scallops or chicken but I chop it into bite-size pieces and toss it with the salad.

5. Adding cheese to the salad before tossing is a must and then a blop of grated cheese on top of the presented salad is extra good. Traditionally Parmigianno reggiano is used and I like it. But I blend it with some good aged Asiago (nuttier without being saltier).

6. Homemade croutons only. I've yet to bump into a good brand of packaged croutons. Toss some bread cubes in a bit of olive oil, garlic powder and dried herbs and toast them on high in the oven. Too easy.

7. Not traditional but I do love tomatoes, olives, crabmeat (as a topping, mostly), crispy bacon pieces, and if I toss in a mix of chopped/sliced Italian coldcuts and cheeses, I call it my antipasti salad.

Joe

Here's the recipe I use for Caesar salad dressing. It's based on a recipe I got from Marilyn, although I can't remember what changes I made, except that they were minor. I like it better with lime juice than lemon, and right now I have more limes than lemons anyway. My lemon tree seemed to be stressed at the moment.

I don't always coddle the egg before using it, but I am very careful about the eggs I buy.

Lars

I wish I could offer a recipe, but oneof the best ceasar salads I had was at a restaurant in the Lake Tahoe area. They left the romaine leaves in whole pieces and put about 4 on a salad plate. It was drizzled with a wonderful dressing and topped with shaved parmesan cheese. The salad was eaten by picking up each lettuce leaf with your fingers. I loved the presentation!

Sue, I've been making my Ceasar Salad this way for over 28 years. Had it the first time at Pat Davis's cooking school. Haven't found one that I like better.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Caesar Salad
============
adapted from Pat Davis Cooking School

1 large head of Romaine Lettuce, washed, dried and torn into pieces

1 large clove of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. or more to taste Dijon Mustard
salt
pepper
Splash of Worchestershire sauce
anchovy fillets
1/4 cup Roquefort cheese
(substitute Maytag or another high quality blue cheese)
Fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 coddled egg
red wine vinegar
fresh squeezed lemon juice
Homemade Croutons

Croutons

2 or 3 slices of French or Italian bread 3/4 inch thick, crusts removed

1 garlic clove

olive oil

.
Add garlic to salad bowl (wooden works best)

sprinkle with salt and use a fork to crush garlic. Turn into a paste.

Add coddled egg and mix. Add dijon mustard and mix well. Add anchovy
fillets and crush with fork.

Drizzle in oil a bit at a time, until the oil is absorbed by the egg
mixture. Add red wine vinegar and worchestershir sauce. Season with
pepper. Add salt to taste. Add some lemon juice and mix.

Toss Romaine lettuce with dressing and add crumbled Roquefort Cheese.
Sprinkle with Parmesan and add croutons.

Croutons

Rub each slice of bread with crushed garlic clove. Cut into cubes

Heat oil and toss the cubes. Make sure they are well coated. Turn
often until nicely toasted. Place in a low oven to finish toasting and
crisping.

Remove from oven.

(Optional: Toss warm croutons with freshly grated parmesan cheese.)

I'm with Linda. I make mine in a "Wooden Salad bowl" The best I think too. Diana55

Note to self: Now have excuse to buy wooden salad bowl.