Have you ever noticed that almost every restaurant has their own version of a Caesar salad on their menu? Why is that? It is probably the most universal type of salad that satisfies all pallet ranges. It is safe and you know what to expect when you order it. Some chefs grill their lettuce to give it a different texture and smoky flavor, which I personally am not a fan of. Some put a fancy twist when presenting it on the plate, add different ingredients that you would not expect to see or add a little more of one flavor to their dressings. You might even see an “eggless” vinaigrette style dressing on a menu that are usually pretty good too. However, I like my Caesar dressings garlicky, lemony and with strong anchovy flavor. My guests better be eating it with me or else my kids will point out that mommy’s breath is stinky in front of everyone at the table. Don’t you just love how matter of fact kids can be? They always do it at the worst possible moments that completely catch you off guard and have you laughing your butt off afterwards.
This week, I’m highlighting the croissants that I purchased at a great French bakery in town, called Uppercrust. The minute you walk in the door to this bakery, the smell takes me to Paris. As I hear the French music and smell the French food, I take a deep breath trying to absorb everything that is going on around me. Ah Paris, the food capital of the world. As a chef, Paris is a must do on the bucket list. The foods are rich but not too rich that you stop eating them. It leaves you dreaming about the next time you will indulge again. You won’t be disappointed with this bakery as I have not had anything that I did not like from their store. I even love the way the attendants answer the phone “Bonjour!”
Croissants are buttery and flaky and give off the best “crunch” sounds when you bite into it. This pastry gets its name from its crescent shape and you might see them used on a continental breakfast menu or breakfast buffet. Nothing compares to the real thing and I prefer to eat them when homemade dough is used. Just seeing this little brown box with the Uppercrust logo sticker gives me the same excitement as most women feel when receiving a little blue box from Tiffany’s. Seriously, I love good food that much.
I decided to create a Caesar salad that is different, strong in flavor and will have you wishing you made extra for seconds. The recipe is called a BLT Caesar Salad with Garlic Croissant Croutons. Click on the recipe title to view the recipe. I made candied bacon, roasted tomatoes and croissant croutons to complete this dish and it was an insanely good combination. No joke, this recipe has to go down as one of the best Caesar salads I have ever had. You have to try it!
The flavor of my Caesar dressing is bold yet balanced. I used balsamic vinegar instead of Worcestershire to give it a different kick of flavor. Some recipes use Worcestershire in place of anchovies, but I would argue that they must be used. The bacon was sticky sweet and absolutely delicious.
I absolutely love roasted tomatoes and it paired well in this particular salad. I could honestly eat a bowl of roasted tomatoes all by itself.
Look at those beautifully golden brown croutons. I am totally guilty of sampling a few as they came straight out of the oven. You would have too if you smelled what I was smelling.
All together the salad was a huge success. I practically inhaled it and didn’t realize it until I was all done and came up for air. The smoky, sweet and tangy flavors combined together just worked. Everyone was enjoying the food too much to care whether that had stinky breath or not. In fact, the next day on the way to school, my oldest son said to me “Mom, that salad we had last night was the best salad ever!” #MomWin
Caesar salads are my favorites! This looks yummy!