Whatcha' Cookin' Wednesday - "Jamie's AMAZING Ceasar Dressing"

A few culinary/kitchen musts:

- Always keep a bottle of chilled champagne in your fridge.
- Master at least one dish and declare it your signature meal.
- Decant all wines that cost under $7./bottle.
- Kosher salt. ('nuf said.)

and finally....

- Know how to make a really good homemade salad dressing.

Enter... Jamie's AMAZING Ceasar Dressing. He just calls it his "Ceasar Dressing" but I think that's like calling a AFC-certified Westminster Champion a mutt. So I added the "amazing. " Because it is. He brought this, along with Dekalb Farmer's Market croutons (the best) and some lovely, crunchy romaine, to my 40th birthday dinner last year. Somehow it never made it to the table - it got pushed to the back of the fridge and we found it the next day. After tasting it we were SO glad that we didn't have to share.

I usually double this recipe since it's pretty much the only dressing we use. It also makes a great chicken marinade. It's NOT low-cal. NOT AT ALL. But totally worth it.

Jamie's AMAZING Ceasar Dressing

Ingredients:

1 C. Extra Virgin olive oil

Juice of 1-3 lemons (sometimes I use limes)

4-12 peeled garlic cloves (depends on how much your Sig. O. will let you get away with)

1 Tblsp. Dijon mustard

1 Tblsp. Worcestshire sauce

3 Tblsp. anchovie paste or 3-6 anchovy filets (I use an entire tin, sans the oil, when I double the recipe)

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 Tblsp. mayo

½ C. Romano, grated

½ C. Parmesan, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients EXCEPT olive oil in blender or Cuisinart. Blend WELL. Add the olive olive VERY slowly so it emulsifies into a smooth, creamy dressing.