A typical Caesar salad comprises romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper originally prepared tableside. Caesar Cardini (Italian-born Mexican) is credited with creating the salad.

There are several stories that chronicle the specifics of the salad's creation. Cardini was living in San Diego but also working in Tijuana where he avoided the restrictions of prohibition. As his daughter Rosa (1928-2003) reported, her father invented the dish when a Fourth of July 1924 rush depleted the kitchen's supplies. Cardini made do with what he had, successfully adding the dramatic flair of the table-side tossing "by the chef".

Ingredients:
2 eggs coddled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon worchestershire sauce
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 head of romaine lettuce, cleaned, dry and chopped coarsely

Directions:
Place room temperature eggs in boiling water for 60-90 seconds. To bring eggs to room temperature place in warm water for 15 minutes. Break eggs into a food processor, add garlic, anchovy paste, salt, pepper, worchestershire sauce and lemon juice. Blend until just combined, slowly add oil until the dressing has thickened. Fold in the cheese. Poor over clean crisp romaine lettuce and homemade croutons.

Croutons: Cut day old bread into chunks. Coat the bottom of a heavy skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat. Add coarsely chopped garlic, allow it to infuse the oil for around 5 minutes, disgard the garlic. Add the croutons, occasionally turn in the pan until browned on all sides.