Beware the Idea of March, Beware the Idea of March... watch your back when you make this salad, it's the best recipe for Caesar Salad I've ever tried, and, if you're not careful, someone may seize your Caesar!

My friend, Donna Newsom shared this recipe for Caesar Salad with me last year. Thirty years ago she was a waitress at the old Lord Fox, and table side Caesars were their specialty. Click the link if you'd like to see Donna's U Tube preparation of a classic Caesar.

The grilled lemon chicken, which I purchased packaged and pre-grilled from Trader Joe's, is optional; the croutons are not — they are out of this world with the dressing. Last year I used pumpernickel bread to make the croutons; this year I used a fresh-baked artisan Italian bread. The dressing is garlicky, but that's the intention.

Ingredients

Garlic clove half, plus1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 anchovy fillets
1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk*
Dash Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
8 cups washed, cut or torn romaine lettuce lettuce
Parmigianno Reggianno


1-2 cups Parmesan-Dijon croutons (recipe follows)
1, 12 ounce package, Lemon-Pepper Cooked Chicken Breast, optional

*Egg may be "coddled" (shell pricked then boiled in water for 1 minute) before using, if desired.

Directions

1. Rub cut side garlic clove around interior of wooden salad bowl.
2. With a fork, mash together 1 teaspoon minced garlic, anchovy, and mustard. Whisk in egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and red wine vinegar. Slowly whisk in olive oil and continue whisking until emulsified. Taste and add additional minced garlic, if desired, and freshly ground pepper, to taste.
3. Toss lettuce and 1 cup croutons into dressing, adding additional croutons to taste. Liberally season with Parmesan and serve.

Parmesan-Dijon Croutons (Yield: 2 cups)

Ingredients

1/2 loaf best quality bread (can be day old)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Slice bread into cubes, approx. 1/2-inch diameter by 1/4-inch thick. You should have 4 cups.
3. Whisk together olive oil, mustard and garlic and toss bread cubes into mixture, covering each crouton well. On a foil-lined baking sheet on middle rack of oven, bake until crispy, 20-35 minutes, depending on freshness of bread, tossing croutons over with a spatula half-way through cooking.