July 4th was National Caesar Salad Day #NationalCaesarSaladDay and David and Charlie have been wanting to have a Salad for dinner but we usually fix Chef Salads and for something different I think I will see if they would like to have a Caesar Salad with me. My question is what should I serve with the Caesar Salad and why?
National Caesar Salad Day occurs on July 4th each year. Just the fact that we have yet another food holiday is enough to make people happy. One of the most universally known) Salads people love is the Caesar Salad. Let’s first have a look at what a Caesar Salad actually is. A classic or traditional Caesar Salad consists of Croutons, fresh Romaine Lettuce, Parmesan, and a zippy Salad Dressing containing raw Egg, Worcestershire Sauce, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Salt, and Pepper. The best part is that there isn’t a restaurant in the Country that does not serve Caesar Salad, or some version of this Salad, especially if that restaurant is an Italian style restaurant.
Contrary to popular belief, the Caesar Salad is not, in fact, named after any of the emperors of Ancient Rome. Rather, Caesar Salad is named after the Italian Chef, Caesar Cardini, who created the Caesar Salad after immigrating to the U.S. with his brother Alex and opening a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico (called Caesar’s).
This happened during the Prohibition in the U.S. in the 1920s, which is the reason that Cardini opened his restaurant in Mexico in the first place. We bring you the most popular origin story of Caesar Salad, as it’s also the most entertaining story. The story perfect to relate to guests as they dig into their Ceaser Salads.
It was during the Fourth of July holiday rush in 1924, that Cardini’s restaurant began to run out of supplies. Not wanting to disappoint a list of elite Hollywood clientele dining at his restaurant that day, Cardini rustled up what he could find in the way of a Salad, and proceeded to make a show of preparing the Salad live in front of his audience.
This added the touch of a live Chef performance, while not winning him an Oscar, thrilled his guests. The Caesar Salad also managed to do justice to all the pomp and flair that went into the making of the Caeser Salad. This Salad was the smash success of this that catapulted Caesar Cardini to fame and gave Caesar Salad its name.
Today Caesar Salad is one of the most popular Salads throughout the world. American Chef Julia Child recalls that one of her earliest childhood restaurant memories was going to Caesar’s and trying out the Salad, which she mentions in her book “From Julia Child’s Kitchen.” While variations exist all over, one thing is for sure, everyone loves a good Caesar Salad. So we guess we have Prohibition (and, the mother of invention) to thank for the Caesar Salad.
NATIONAL CAESAR SALAD DAY ACTIVITIES
- You should choose to go the authentic route by going to your local Italian restaurant and try out their Caesar Salad. Caesar Salad is bound to be on the menu of half of the restaurants around you, Italian or otherwise. Maybe even do your own survey, by sampling Caesar Salads in all your favorite restaurants.
- The best part about cooking is that you can take a recipe and make it your own. Feel free today to experiment with making your own Caesar Salad, adding more ingredients, and tweaking the Caesar Salad to suit your diet or lifestyle choice. We recommend adding some Chicken and smoky Bacon, but you’re free to dress your Caesar Salad as you like.
- If you have the opportunity today make a classic Caesar Salad, place the Caesar Salad on your beautiful Salad bowl, with a pretty aesthetically background, and take photos of your creation to post on Social Media. Don’t forget to use the hashtag, #NationalCaesarSaladDay when sharing your creation.
FACTS ABOUT CAESAR SALAD
- According to the Guinness Book of World Records, in 2007, the largest recorded Caesar Salad was made in Tijuana, Mexico, weighing more than three tons.
- Thanks to its popularity of the Caesar Salad, the demand for Romaine Lettuce increased and led to more than 600% increased consumption in the U.S.
- Did you know the original Caesar Salad just had one large Crouton in the middle of it.
- Before the invention of the Caesar Salad, Salads were considered a side, and never the main dish in their own right.
- The original Salad had the ingredients on a bed of Romaine Lettuce with the stalks facing out and was eaten with one’s fingers.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL CAESAR SALAD DAY
- You would be hard-pressed to find someone who hates Caesar Salad, which is a testament to the fact that this Salad is a crowd-pleaser the world over. Not only is Caesar Salad hearty and filling, but the Dressing itself can be used for a variety of other Salads and dishes.
- Caesar salad is versatile and can be modified to suit almost every diet type and is bound to satisfy. Plus, Caesar Salad a Salad, and we all know Salads are healthy, so let’s keep it at that.
- Thanks to the huge rise in popularity of the Salad, the demand and consumption of Romaine Lettuce had increased in the U.S. alone by about 600%. Hence more acres of farmland are devoted to growing Romaine Lettuce, which helps support local farmers.
Ingredients
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped, or to taste
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Combine anchovy fillets with garlic in a food processor and pulse several times to form a paste. Process mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, half-and-half, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce with anchovy mixture until dressing is creamy. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more before serving.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
