Caesar Salad

 This recipe holds a very special place in my heart. I grew up eating this. It is in my veins. My best friends from childhood remember this salad. They also remember me literally drinking the dressing - seriously, I was obsessed with it.
The best part was that my dad taught me how to make it and he would always let me stand next to him and watch until I knew how to make it on my own. And he always let me mix the salad with the dressing with my hands and I would lick off all the dressing. Gross, right? But such a pleasant memory of childhood.
The story of our caesar salad dressing doesn't start there though. Supposedly my Mom and Dad went to a restaurant that made this caesar salad table side. They loved it so much that they went back every week and intently watched the chef make it until they had all the ingredients and steps memorized. Then they made it at home and the rest is history!
My dad still makes this today (especially when we have Meatballs!) But I am now the maker of it on my moms side and I happily make it for my sisters. Though I don't drink the dressing now, I still really enjoy this salad and Dennis and I make it at least once a month if not more.
You'll have to bear with me because there are no "exact" measurements. There never have been, probably because of the way my parents learned how to make it themselves. It comes out different every single time you make it and there's something a bit special about that. The only rule of making the dressing is to add a bit of everything at a time. This is where I first learned that you can always add more but you can never take away. (Seriously, I can still remember my dad telling me that.) So, without further delay, here it is:

Ingredients:
- 1-2 Garlic cloves depending on their size (If you're not a fan of raw garlic, cut the clove in half and rub around the bowl. discard garlic.)
- Anchovy paste **
- 1 egg *
- EVOO
- Lemon Juice (I never use real lemon in this because bottled works just as well and always has the same flavor where as lemons don't always taste the same!)
- White Wine Vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Parmesan cheese
- Croutons
- Romaine Lettuce

* My dad always put the egg in a bit of warm water and even sometimes microwaves it for a few seconds to kill any bad bacteria. I have never done this and I've never been sick. 
** Anchovy paste can be found with the tuna. You've had anchovies before if you've ever eaten caesar salad. It's that saltiness you taste and it taste nothing like fish. I hate fishy taste and never had a problem with anchovies in my salad dressing. 

Mix the minced garlic with the anchovy paste (about 1tsp)

Whisk in the egg

Add EVOO, about 3 circles of the bowl. My dad always says "this is the base of the dressing"
Whisk together until smooth.

- Next you add a couple splashes of worcestershire sauce, about 2 squeeze of lemon juice bottle, 2 glugs of the white wine vinegar and whisk. TASTE. I tend to make mine more vinegary than my dad does but that's the way Den and I like it.

Next add parmesan cheese and whisk together.

It should be about this thick. TASTE. Add what you think might be missing.  I almost always have to add something else in. Usually a bit of vinegar and lemon. 

I always add the croutons to the bottom of the bowl and then throw the lettuce on top so the croutons soak up as much dressing as they can ;) Mix the salad right before serving, otherwise it'll get limp. 

Best salad ever!