Homemade Caesar Salad -- The Table That Holds Everything Together

I listed 4 new properties this week — each one a different story, a different kitchen, a different family waiting to happen. The spring market is alive with the particular energy of people who have decided this is the year they change their address and their life.

I drove to Tarpon Springs for Sunday dinner. The drive takes forty minutes if the traffic behaves. It never behaves. But I make the drive because the table at Mama's house is non-negotiable, and Sunday dinner is the thread that holds this family together.

The bakery smelled like honey this morning when I stopped by. That smell — warm honey and butter and the faint yeast of dough rising — is the smell of my childhood and my mother and my father and every Sunday morning of my life. Some smells are time machines. The bakery is mine.

I made Greek salad wraps — everything from a horiatiki rolled in warm pita with hummus. Sophia called them genius. I called them Tuesday. We ate at the kitchen table, just the two of us, and for a moment the house was not quiet or loud — it was exactly right. Full. Fed. The sound of forks on plates is the sound I love most in this world.

The olive oil in my kitchen is from a Greek import shop in Tampa that sources from Kalamata. It is expensive. It is worth it. I use it on everything — salads, fish, bread, vegetables, the edge of a pot of soup — because olive oil is not a condiment in this family, it is a philosophy. Use it generously. Use it without apology. Use it the way you use love: poured freely, never measured, always more than you think you need.

Those Greek salad wraps I made on Tuesday —everything from a horiatiki rolled into warm pita with hummus —reminded me how much I love a salad that does the work of a whole meal. This Caesar captures that same spirit: a bold, olive-oil-forward dressing, crisp greens, and the kind of honest simplicity that feels right at a kitchen table set for two. Use the good olive oil. You already know why.

Homemade Caesar Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 large heads romaine lettuce, chopped or torn into pieces
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 cup croutons (store-bought or homemade)
• 3 tablespoons good-quality extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
• 2 anchovy fillets, minced (or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste), optional
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Instructions

1. Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, anchovies (if using), and mayonnaise until smooth and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust —add more lemon if you want brightness, more mustard for depth.
2. Prepare the lettuce. Wash and thoroughly dry the romaine. Chop or tear into bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Cold, crisp lettuce is non-negotiable here.
3. Dress the salad. Drizzle the dressing over the romaine generously —start with about half and add more as needed. Toss well so every leaf is coated. Do not be shy with the dressing.
4. Add the toppings. Scatter the croutons over the dressed lettuce and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan. Toss once more lightly.
5. Serve immediately. Plate the salad and finish with an extra grating of Parmesan and a crack of black pepper. Serve right away while the croutons still have their crunch.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 11g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 420mg