Anthony Bourdain's Caesar Salad

Okay, look. I'm going to address this now in my second-ever post. I love Anthony Bourdain. He was a man who knew the greatest joys in life are good food and the people you share it with. And that's a life philosophy I can undoubtedly get behind. My fiancé recently got me Bourdain's cookbook "Appetites," and this was the first thing I decided to make out of it. Caesar salad is something I'd say most of us are familiar with. But making it yourself from scratch elevates it from side-dish status. The umami from the anchovies, combined with a dijon mustard with a bite that puts Luis Suarez to shame, (okay, I love football* too.) makes this salad worthy of a light lunch or dinner by itself. The best part is, it takes minimal effort.

*football, otherwise known as "soccer" in America, despite it being a game played with your feet and a ball

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

• 10 anchovies packed in oil, drained

• 4 garlic cloves: 2 peeled and smashed, 2 peeled and minced

• 6 slices white sandwich bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (any grated parm you have on hand can be substituted)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

• A Dash of Tabasco sauce (substitute with a Louisiana-style hot sauce if needed)

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce (wow, typing that is as bad as saying it out loud.)

• 3 egg yolks separated from the whites

• 2 hearts of romaine, washed, chilled, and roughly chopped

The Process:

Step one: In a wide sauté pan, head up 1 cup of the olive oil over medium/low heat. Add in 4 anchovies, mashing them and mixing them into the oil until they dissolve

Step two: Once the anchovies have dissolved, turn the heat up to medium-high and add your cubed bread. Cook it all all sides until it is golden brown, about a few minutes, and then transfer the croutons a bowl. Toss them 1/4 of a cup of Parmigiano, salt, and pepper before transferring them to a paper-towel lined tray to cool down.

Step three: In a blender or food processor, add the leftover 6 anchovies, mustard, minced garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and egg yolks and purée them. Slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil, allowing everything to incorporate and emulsify into a beautiful dressing. After emulsifying, taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Step four: Toss the lettuce with the dressing, making sure to coat it well but not to drown it excessively. Add the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano to the salad, as well as the croutons, and toss well. Once tossed, distribute the salad to the plates. This recipe can feed 2-4 people, depending on how hungry they are. If feeding 2+, I would suggest serving with a nice baguette with butter on the side.