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Friday, February 20, 2009

Caesar

No, not the Caesar haircut that was quite popular in the early-mid 1990s.....and, yes, I had one....I just had to! They were popular in Europe but not quite so much in the US. I had just come back from two tours in Europe and just had to be like my European cohorts.

But this time around, I'm talking about the Caesar salad. It seems to be every place, on every single restaurant menu, no matter where you go nowadays. And I'm not a fan. First of all, I don't like Caesar salad dressing at all. But I've noticed that even among Caesar salad dressings there is a huge difference depending on where you order it. At Crush, for example, it is a very light dressing -- not heavy with mayonnaise (yuck) or cream. And I actually think it's okay the way that Crush fixes it with fresh lemon and garlic...light and not creamy. But beyond the dressing, what is there in this salad to attract someone to it? Not a vegetable in the world except for the obligatory romaine lettuce. No tomatoes or cucumber or carrot....nothing. Nutritional value = zero. There are those few necessary croutons which are nice. And a bit of Parmesan. But that's it, folks. Lettuce. Dressing. Crouton. Bit of cheese. Who in the world made that popular???

And so popular that you'll go nearly nowhere that doesn't have it. I don't get it. I'm a veggie guy that needs his salads loaded down heavy with every single vegetable I can find, plus apples or grapes, plus nuts and crunch, plus dried cherries, maybe some avocado. And a fat-free balsamic vinaigrette. That's my gig. And I'm sticking to it.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I share your sentiments about the Caesar salad. Which is why I will ALWAYS order the house salad. Unfortunately, many restaurants are being frugal with how many tomatoes they give you. And some days, I'll order it with the dressing on it, and sometimes on the side, depending on how "heavy" I'm feeling. :-)

Laurie said...

Now I want a salad...Like I
haven't eatten enough today...
I feel like a bloated moose...

TACKLE YOU HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sh@ney said...

Yah! I am glad to have found someone else who is not a fan of Mayo!!
Even though I can eat it in small doses (EG.Coleslaw)
And the only time I had Caesar Salad was at the local pub and it really did not sit well with me after ward's. Left me with a tainted tongue.

:~)

Anonymous said...

I like Cesar salads, but I'm particular about where I get it. It also has to be less creamy and made with anchovies.

Ur-spo said...

I barely recall when waiters made the salad at tableside - using a wooden bowl and a raw egg.
Now there was a fad.

Anonymous said...

MMMMM..... I loooove Caesar salad! I am picky about the quality... but love a good one!

wcs said...

Gotta agree with the caesar lovers. Me, too, a good one is great.

Here in France, a green salad is often just lettuce and dressing. We eat that frequently at home.

Otherwise, they have salades composées, which are more like meals, and often contain meat.

Here's to hoping you guys are feeling better.

Stephen Chapman said...

I think that the Caesar salad is house fave because it's trendy - and easy to make.... but mainly because it's the trendy in thing.

RAD said...

MMM Love me a good Caesar salad!! Pass on the anchovies please...MMMM Love a man in a caesar cut too...pass on nothing on that....

Mark in DE said...

Spouse loves caeser salad, but like you, I do not. I must prefer a garden salad with chunky veggies. I do like creamy dressings though - my downfall.

tornwordo said...

There should be zero cream or mayonnaise in a real caesar recipe. Do you ever drink bloody caesars? Pretty much the same as a bloody mary except with Clamato and horseradish. Yum.