Caesar Salad

[weinoo]

7 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

I like the Zuni Cafe recipe for Caesar Salad. Very traditional. The only change I make is to reduce the eggs from two to one. Seems like plenty. Also I use pecorino or piave cheese, since I typically have one or the other on hand. The anchovies I get may be saltier than some, since I never need to add salt.

 

https://www.bigoven.com/recipe/zuni-cafe-caesar-salad/713610

 

And the pecorino you're using most likely tastes a lot saltier than parmesan.

[CeeCee]

20 hours ago, KennethT said:

While this is not at all even close to the real thing, my go-to for a simple week night salad dressing based on the Caesar - but (hold your gasps now) without the cheese (we try to be healthy during the week).  I make a paste of garlic and salt, then put in the bowl with lemon or lime juice and a few splashes of fish sauce (this kind of gives the hint of the anchovies).  I let the garlic marinate in the acid for a while while I get the rest of dinner going.  Just before plating, I'll whisk in some extra virgin olive oil, then dress and plate.  Is it as good as the Caesar of my memories?  Absolutely not.  Is it fast and tasty - sure is.

 

I love fish sauce for this! When I want it to be quick, I just whip some ready made mayonaise and garlic sauce together. To thin it out and tang it up, I add apple cider vinegar and fish sauce. No skimping on the cheese though. It always disappoints me when people finely grate the parmesan, as I like having the texture with the salt crystals and such.

 

Hmm, I going to make one tonight🤤

[MokaPot]

Another non-authentic but tasty salad dressing. If you don't have or don't want to use anchovies, use pitted kalamata olives instead. I've made this dressing in a stand blender. I like anchovies as well, but this is a nice alternative.

[MetsFan5]

I think I might order the Zuni Cafe cookbook. I’ve also been wanting to try their roast chicken with bread salad. We were supposed to dine there in March (along with a bunch of other things that I can’t see happening any time soon). 

[Yiannos]

20 hours ago, MokaPot said:

Another non-authentic but tasty salad dressing. If you don't have or don't want to use anchovies, use pitted kalamata olives instead. I've made this dressing in a stand blender. I like anchovies as well, but this is a nice alternative.

 

Miso also works great as a substitute too.

[CeeCee]

If we're talking substitutes, I feel seaweed should be mentioned too. Ao nori is already flecked, but I've used cut up nori as well.

[rotuts]

I also use RB-40 in place of anchovies 

 

if I open a can of A's , they never get used.

 

it just gets the job done.

 

I cook a 1-minute egg , out of the refrigerator into

 

simmering water , then rinse in cold water to handle , and use that egg

 

being careful to scrape out all the solids that cling to the shell.

[Kim Shook]

9 minutes ago, rotuts said:

I also use RB-40 in place of anchovies 

 

if I open a can of A's , they never get used.

 

it just gets the job done.

 

I cook a 1-minute egg , out of the refrigerator into

 

simmering water , then rinse in cold water to handle , and use that egg

 

being careful to scrape out all the solids that cling to the shell.

Googled RB-40.  All I can find are references to early retirement (Retire Before 40).  I need to know bc I have the same issues with opening anchovies and using 2 filets and a year later throwing the scary jar away.

[heidih]

7 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

Googled RB-40.  All I can find are references to early retirement (Retire Before 40).  I need to know bc I have the same issues with opening anchovies and using 2 filets and a year later throwing the scary jar away.

 

He is referring to Red Boat 40 fish sauce from Vietnam   https://redboatfishsauce.com/products/red-boat-fish-sauce-40-n-64-oz  ersonally I think any fish sauce wwill do In these desperate time the onky one my delivery service has is Thai Kitchen. And I usually use 3 Crabs as does my Viet born great friend.

Edited September 14, 2020 by heidih (log)

[rotuts]

Red Boat 40 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Boat-Fish-Sauce-2-250/dp/B0037J1YO2

 

Tj's has it @ 50 % less than WholeFoods !

 

any good fish sauce will do .

 

but be very very careful with it :

 

you drop a glass jar of this stuff in your kitchen , you will be moving to Alaska !

[heidih]

4 minutes ago, rotuts said:

you drop a glass jar of this stuff in your kitchen , you will be moving to Alaska !

 

The glass tends to be pretty thick but you get salt crystallization at pour spout - no big deal - rinse so you can close. I do not care for the Filipino  patis. as a general ingredient.

[Kim Shook]

Thank you, @heidih and @rotuts!  I just went and looked and the brand I have is Thai Kitchen - probably because I'm trying to lessen the number of different stores I go to and that's what Food Lion or Kroger stocks.  We love fish sauce and use it the same way I use Worcestershire - drop by drop when a dish needs "something", but you're not sure what!  Mr. Kim is not a huge mac n cheese fan, but when I was testing recipes for @Michael Ruhlman, I cooked his Macaroni and Cheese w/ Soubise, which has fish sauce, and Mr. Kim loved it.  I'm convinced it's the fish sauce that makes the difference in that for him.  

[rotuts]

@Kim Shook 

 

I wouldn't go searching around ( these days ) for RB-40

 

ThaiKitchen will be fine

 

but if you see bottle , fairly priced  ( ie not @ whole foods )

 

snap one up.   it lasts a long long time   and is worth it.

[MokaPot]

I like this "3 Crabs" fish sauce as well. It's somewhat easy to find. Pretty economically-priced.

 

[rotuts]

just don't drop it

[heidih]

24 minutes ago, rotuts said:

just don't drop it

 

The glass is thicker than  a greenish Mexican Coca Cola bottle!

[rotuts]

just saying 

 

OK

 

dont spill it !

[CeeCee]

@rotuts and @Kim Shook Jamie Oliver talked about freezing ansjovis in oil in his 'Save with Jamie' series. At least I think it was, but I can't find it. There was a question on Food52 about this as well.

[liuzhou]

17 hours ago, rotuts said:

it lasts a long long time

 

Not in my kitchen!

[KennethT]

3 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

Not in my kitchen!

Mine either.... we got through a 1 liter bottle maybe every month or so!

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I buy fine quality Italian anchovy in oil.   After opening them, I keep them in the refrigerator for...months even.   I don't notice a change in quality over time.    Especially as really good ones are easy to use, adding flavor pique without "anchovy in your face" intrusion.     Note: I have always hated anchovies but find myself reaching for these often.

[FrogPrincesse]

Happy 100 anniversary to the Caesar salad!

 

Serious Eats made this Caesar pasta for the occasion. Who is going to try it? 🙂

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9BCUDnvXmu/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Recipe link

More recipes inspired by the Caesar salad here

Edited July 5 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

Nice article in Eater about the Caesar salad and its namesake restaurant that shut its doors in 2010 but was revived by the Plascencia  family.

 

[Smithy]

11 hours ago, FrogPrincesse said:

Nice article in Eater about the Caesar salad and its namesake restaurant that shut its doors in 2010 but was revived by the Plascencia  family.

 

 

Thanks for that! I enjoyed reading the history of the restaurant and the area.

 

I was surprised to read that anchovies weren't part of the original. I'm going to have to try making Caesar Salad for myself sometime soon, after company leaves. One thing, though: it may not be as showy as the original, but I'll probably chop that lettuce into smaller pieces before tossing. Is that heresy? 😉

[Katie Meadow]

53 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

Thanks for that! I enjoyed reading the history of the restaurant and the area.

 

I was surprised to read that anchovies weren't part of the original. I'm going to have to try making Caesar Salad for myself sometime soon, after company leaves. One thing, though: it may not be as showy as the original, but I'll probably chop that lettuce into smaller pieces before tossing. Is that heresy? 😉

For a classic contemporary Caesar I'm wedded to the Zuni Cafe version. Maybe in Tijuana Worcestershire sauce was easily available and anchovies were not on the local radar yet. The question is, who was the genius who first switched in the anchovies? I'm not so concerned with presentation, so our romaine gets cut or torn and the salad gets tossed. It was so hot here yesterday evening that we had a Caesar salad and baguette and nothing else for dinner.