Her Tasty Life

This past weekend commemorated Father’s Day across the country. A day for gifting ties, golfing, grilling and goofing off with dad.

With my So Cal background, it makes me think of boating, swimming and always, my dad’s famous caesar dressing recipe. My dad was a whiz in the kitchen and made everything from pasta puttanesca, to delicate soufflés, to beef bourguignon. But no dish was he more known for than his ultimate caesar salad! It was requested at every gathering, every party, every event. People just went crazy for it. Present company included.

It’s rich, velvety, bold, and above all else, super tangy! Everything a true caesar should be.

These memories hold a note of bittersweetness for me now, as my dad is no longer with us. One of the last things we did together was go step-by-step recounting the details of his caesar dressing to my memory. Through the virtues of cooking and an unrelentless passion of food, I can honor his legacy by making the things he loved and passing them on to others.

I hope you’ll try the recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it just as much as we do!

Ingredients:

• 1 Egg Yolk
• 4 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 Cloves Fresh Garlic
• 3 Whole Anchovy Filets
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard (I prefer the creamy dijon)
• 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire
• 1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Parmesan
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil (the good stuff)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Place the anchovies into a blender or food processor along with egg yolk, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic cloves, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, red pepper flakes.
2. Make sure you’re holding out the parmesan! I always accidentally toss it in the blender.
3. Pulse the processor or blend on low until all of the ingredients are nicely blended.
4. Now we’ll add in the oil to bring the emulsion together and create a dressing.
5. With the food processor or blender on low, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mixture in a steady stream.
6. Scrape down the sides.
7. Add the Parmesan, salt and fresh-cracked black pepper.
8. Pulse or blend once more on low to bring everything together.
9. Now it’s ready to enjoy or you can refrigerate the dressing for later use (it only gets better as it compounds).

Serving tips: plate with fresh or grilled hearts of romaine, brioche croutons and large, fresh pieces of shaved parmesan. Feeling extra fancy? Add a few more of those anchovy filets on top!