This is a funny one.

Way back when, my Mom’s friend, aka my sister from another mister (haha love you Nina!) came over the house, ravinggg about this Caesar salad from her work. She made it for us with shrimp and it was out of this world to say the least!

Flash forward to today, however many years later, I still catch myself thinking back to that particular salad. Each time I shake it off but last night, for whatever reason, I finally took the initiative to ask Nina if she had the recipe. Unfortunately, she did not, and she let me know the person she tried learning from was very secretive about it too.

However, the fun part, was reconstructing a recipe (scaled down, and not made for huge restaurant batches haha!) that matched the taste from our collection of memories!

To top it off, my assistant/friend Alex has been raving about grilled romaine so I figured it would be fun to mix in!

And so, this Collective Ceasar Salad emerged!

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Collective Ceasar Salad

Caesar Salad Dressing

• 2 large egg yolks

• 1 tsp dijon mustard

• 1 tsp Worcester sauce

• 6 anchovy fillets

• 1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 2 small garlic cloves

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Regianno

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 2 Tbs- 1/4 cup water (to thin out)

1. In a small jar add all the ingredients except for the olive oil and water.

2. Use an immersion blender or food processor to blend until combined.

3. Next, drizzle the olive oil and continue to blend. At this point, the dressing should thicken significantly as the egg yolks and oil are emulsifying (AKA combining two immiscible liquids into an emulsion.)

4. Afterwards, thin out the mixture by stirring in water to consistency preference. (Keep in mind that when chilled in the fridge, it will thicken as well.). The dressing should lighten in color and taste smoother.

5. Transfer the dressing into an airtight container until ready to use.

Quick Toasted Croutons

• 2 cups bread, cubed into 1”x1” pieces (Italian bread or sourdough is fantastic!)

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a small sheet pan, toss together all the ingredients until well combined.

2. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

3. Remove from oven and toss over your salad (and maybe sneak one or two along the way haha!)

Salad

• 6 small heads romaine lettuce, rinsed, dried and sliced halfway lengthwise

• 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

• 2 cups quick croutons

• 3-4 small radishes, thinly sliced (optional, but lovely for added color)

• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Regianno, grated or shaved

• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• Ceasar dressing (to preference, but can always serve extra on the side)

1. Rub olive oil on the flat sides of the romaine halves.

2. Next, grill the romaine halves, flat side down, on medium heat on a grill pan until marks form. (About 3-5 minutes).

3. Remove the pieces from the pan then transfer to a serving platter.

4. Add the radishes on top then sprinkle the croutons, cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. (Optional: layer protein of choice as well.)

5. Alas, spoon the ceasar dressing over the romaine to preference.

6. Enjoy!