Cesare’s Salad To Go…

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The guy’s name was Cesare Cardini, an Italian by birth, immigrant into the U.S., and restaurant owner in Tijuana, Mexico. He is credited with what is now often called Caesar’s Salad… how it evolved from Cesare’s Salad to Caesar’s Salad is something most Filipinos would readily understand; for example, the previously common spanish man’s name “Angel” pronounced “Ang-hell” has since evolved to “Ayn-gel” as in “Angel Locsin” these days… At any rate, last week, at the height of my pain in the neck, The Teen announced that she had to contribute something to a bake or food sale at school, for the benefit of UNICEF or some other peaceful organization. Now food sales are always chockfull of sugary delights, so I figured it might be interesting to send salads instead of sweets. Not only were salads incredibly easy to make, they were healthier and likely to attract a higher price point, hence fewer salads equals bigger contribution to the cause, value-wise.

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So we got a couple of kilos worth of fresh romaine and washed and stored them in the fridge the night before. I also bought a loaf of sourdough bread. We grilled a few chicken breasts in the oven and let them cool, and also stored them in the fridge. The next morning, we cubed the sourdough bread without the rinds, drizzled them with olive oil, salt and pepper and put them in a hot oven and tossed occasionally until golden brown — the best croutons ever are home made, not from a box. We cut up the lettuce and filled individual portion sized clear plastic containers…

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Topped the lettuce with a few slices of chicken, lots of croutons and some grated parmesan cheese. Tied it all up with raffia, including napkins and a fork. Real Cesare or Caesar salad dressing made from scratch was served from a bag with ice to keep the dressing cool. Put 20 packs on trays and whisked them to school. They were priced at PHP90 each and I was told later they sold out in a flash! Students and teachers alike enjoyed the healthy snack, and UNICEF gets a nice donation. Something to think about the next time you have to send something for a food sale! :)

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39 Responses

  1. Way to go!!!!!! Good cause and Good Health, Good combination.
    It always makes my heart happy to read such good effort. Even the smallest contribution is priceless and inspiring.

  2. MM, what a lovely and healthy idea for a food sale. The packaging of your Caesar salad to-go looks like the Goolai salad I buy either at Rustan’s or the Petron gas station on Makati Ave cor. Buendia Ave. But it is sold at about P140! Your P90 Caesar salad should have been priced more.

  3. Gee,a lot would have paid more for that wonderful looking Ceasar Salad. That was a bargain-in-a-box!! And you were right,am sure a lot sent sweet goodies. Great idea MM and I salute your big heart for causes like this!

  4. MM, Could you please also post the recipe of the Cesare dressing you made? Did you use eggs?

  5. what a great idea for a bake sale…although i don’t think that’ll work dito sa toronto. i find mas ibang level of paranoia about food safety and allergies and whatnot. people seem to prefer food cooked through…

  6. Moni > I know of that Goolai Salads and they sell the best salad dressings.

    MM > You should try Goolai’s Raspberry or Strawberry Vinaigrette – these are also home made and goes well with their Mango and Kani Salad. :) Btw, the raffia adds a nice touch to the packaging. Looking to more healthy eats post from you!

  7. Magandang Gabi, MM and Ms. WalangKaparis and Anne: here is another salad that I know gets UBOS first as well when i donate them to the school food sale…the Thai Noodle Salad….I use the instant egg noodle (sometimes Diamond Brand), pan fry a bit after soaking in hot water and blanching in boiling water, LOTS of grilled vegetables (done ahead of time and can be frozen), LOTS of baby spinach, and the Ginger-Sesame dressing I shared the recipe a while back (PLEASE don’t ask me which post now-can’t remember!), …to make it extra special and the teacher’s selling point,….I add lots of sliced Barbecued Lemongrass Chicken! Then, over here, I just go to our local Safeway, and buy those see through containers like MM’s. I have a few with no chicken for the vegetarians as well!

  8. Vyanski….go archives and oh, which is it now…I shared a recipe for a salad dressing which i gave away as Christmas presents at one time…Raspberry Honey Vinaigrette! It is sooooo easy to make!!!!

    Has anyone come across the post and tried it?

  9. Alilay,thanks so much for bettyq’s pancit malabon recipe. Got it na. Emailed you as well.Will find the right weekend for pancit malabon on the menu.(with tokwa baboy?).
    Thanks bettyq for all your sage advices. Your instructions really are great!! As I said,I now have on my yahoo a folder for bettyq recipes if I get this thru my yahoo email.
    MM,I think I got the right leche flan at last (like my ma in law) and looks like your fourth flan.Oooooh I feel so happy. I used 4 whole eggs an 2 yolks.Alpine full cream evap,milkmaid and I followed bettyq,sister,yours and dadd”s advices.
    Silky smooth,not too sweet–even caramelization seemed easier. I bonked the llanera on a rag as bettyq said (hahaha) and pricked the bubbles on top like sister said.Also let it sit about thirty minutes (while I was doing my apple muffin) before steaming as suggested by a blogger . Soft rolling boil…and voila. Am ecstatic!! If I only know how to take a pic and place in the link. Hahaha..maybe soon.Thanks to all the bloggers and the valuable advices. I already wrote down the techniques. This site is really so great!!Am waiting for an occasion to volunteer to bring leche flan..teehee.

  10. Good Job, Mr. MM. I’m actually amazed at the presentation. Thanks for sharing the info about the origin too. I always get this question a lot every time I teach cooking lessons and like you, I always tell them that it originated from Mexico. I once watched a local cooking show here.. A very well known chef (with several cook books out in the market) was teaching how to make the caesar salad and was asked the same question… his reply was that it orginated from CAESARS PALACE in Las Vegas. I hope he gets to read this so that he can give out the right answer next time. :-)

  11. OK … We are all sooooo proud of you, Marisse! BUT who eats all your experiments? I hope their blood sugar levels haven’t skyrocketed yet!

    Oops…ayan na si Lee with his kutsara on your doorstep!

    Hay, naku! Talagang LOLOBO siguro ako kung nandiyan ako sa Pinas! Marisse, kung gaganahan ka one of these week.-ends, make BBQ! Kapartner with your Pancit Malabon, Tokwat Baboy and BBq and San Mig. Beer…I made it this week-end BBq’ing in the backyrd at minus something degree weather (die hard, ano?)…initially i just was aiming for Lemongrass Pork (it ws already marinating with the lemongrass paste)., then i saw the Ginger-Sesame dressing in the cooler…so I said, why not?!? , then added more light soy, brownsugar, finished the Mafran bottle in the cooler, more pounded garlic nd lemon juice and more pepper. Hay, ka sarap!

  12. you never fail to amaze me MM. i wonder if i can tap into your ingenious mind sometimes hehehe

  13. hi MM, got another great idea from you! those salads really looked good!
    Ms. betty Q,hope you dont’t mind, can i ask for your raspberry honey vinaigrette?
    Ms. marissewalangkaparis, hope i have your enthusiasm to learn all the recipes that are being shared in this wonderful site..congrats sa iyong succesful leche flan

  14. Suggestion, MM. Would it be possible to number the comments? Numbering would make it easier to locate a recipe or cooking/baking tip offered by your readers. Sometimes a post triggers so much animated give-and-take (like the one on leche flan) and numbering would greatly facilitate keeping track of the amazing amount of shared info the site generates.

  15. Gina, I wouldn’t even know where to begin numbering comments, besides, with nearly 2000 posts and 60,000+ comments so far, it would still likely get lost in the archives with time…

  16. Hi MM. What I’m referring to is just the comments on a SINGLE post like this one, say, (1) B & W, (2) moni, (3) marissewalangkaparis, (4) Jade186, and so on and so forth. Some of your most popular posts generate 100+ comments, so while keeping track of the exchange on just this one post, your readers and commenters can refer to, say, #56 follow-up comment of bettyq, or #87 suggestion of Sister. And if we want to revisit or copy a recipe at some later time, we can just note down the number in the comment thread rather than scroll from start to the end. How about that?

  17. what a great idea for a bakesale, haha! i remember eating this at restaurants when i was younger. At that time, they still used iceberg lettuce and the waiters made a show of making the dressing (with anchovies and raw eggs) table side.

  18. Hi Gina –
    One way to do it is say, if you go to the lechon page in the archives and you want to search bettyq’s comments – you can hit ctrl F and a Search bar comes up at the bottom of your screen and you can put in specific words or names and it will search that page for you … works!

  19. Between you, Isagarch and MarissewalangKaparis, you are my lifesavers as well…I spent quite a while last night trying to rememeber which post I shared the Raspberry Honey Vinaigrette…typing it in the search engine to no avail. Then after a few tries, I thought about which salad I generally use it on, Spinach Salad came to mind.

    I think I shall use Marisse’s notebook idea and yours as well!. As Connie C. would say, I am LO-TECH!…and she is making “tiaga” with me making me into HIGH-TECH!!!

    Evel…it is on the Spinach Salad with Pancetta post…including things you can sub the Raspberry with.

  20. good morning! i am with ms. gina and ms. marissa in tabbing posts and comments. easier to refer back to them.

  21. i would also buy that salad if I was there, :). if would be better though if you used microwavable containers, para it can be re-used. just a suggestion :)

  22. hi! would like to know your recipe for the dressing. my son loves italiani’s ceasar salad and would love to make some for him. thanks

  23. Ms. marissewalangkaparis, judos to you for perfecting na the leche flan. Me, it eludes me pa, but I’ll do it…someday…soon…I hope…before my kasambahay and our bodegero gets real cholesterol problems eating my palpak dishes :)

  24. I mean, kudos to ms. marissewalangkaparis. Sorry for the typo error. No intent to judo you hahaha!

  25. Maraming salamat talaga bettyq MM sister etc for your great advises.
    Evel and Jing,I really have been frustrated with NOT knowing how to make that leche flan for the longest time.(Nakakahiya na nga sa biyenan ko that I keep on asking for her techniques.) She’s so patient with me. I don’t think I would have gotten it without this site. Gheez…at my age,di pa marunong gumawa ng leche flan? Am so grateful to this site talaga.I listed all the advises from everyone and its a free cooking clinic.
    Evel,I now have a nearly empty nest and I love cooking when there’s a good recipe to try. Bettyq,I always bring what I cook/bake to the office too(If my two sons haven’t devoured it yet). Hahaha,they know I am trying to perfect something when I say…oh,for your penance,try this..and please “pintas”. I think my secretary has gained weight cuz of that..hahaha…have fun everyone!!

  26. meldy, I have a post on caesar, cesar cesare salad in my archives, try googling caesar salad marketmanila and you will probably find it and the dressing recipe in it.

  27. With that beautiful packaging and the mestiza croutons and good to go they fly off the table in a second!