When I was a young, professional actress living in New York City, I discovered a restaurant that served classic Caesar Salad; this salad was so different from any other supposedly "Caesar Salad" I'd had before - and much more delicious! 

For years, I duplicated this fresh tasting salad at home, and when I got married, I couldn't wait to serve it to my husband. He loved it, too. That is, until we'd been married about a year and he realized egg formed the basis of the dressing. Somehow, this was a real turn off to him. 

Even so, I still crave this salad from time to time, and serve it anyway. I generally make it a meal unto itself, serving it with some French or sourdough bread.

What You Need: 

1 large clove of garlic, minced 

6 tablespoons olive oil 

1 cup croutons 

1 large egg 

3 quarts chopped or torn romaine lettuce (about 2 heads) 

freshly ground pepper 

juice from 1 lemon 

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

Large salad bowl 

Two large spoons for mixing 

1 small saucepan

 

How to Do It: 

1. Make the dressing at least 2 hours ahead of time - ideally 7 or 8 hours ahead of time. Pour the oil into a glass or stainless steel bowl and add the minced garlic. Allow to sit at room temperature. 

2. There's a chance for eggs to carry bacteria. To help reduce that risk, coddle the egg. Do this by filling a small saucepan with water and bringing it to a full boil. Gently put the egg in the boiling water for exactly 1 minute. Remove promptly. 

3. Pour the romaine in the salad bowl, along with a handful or two of croutons. Season with pepper. Add the oil and garlic dressing and toss the salad to mix. 

4. Break the coddled egg over the salad, discarding the shell. Sprinkle the salad with the lemon juice. Toss the salad again, until the egg is well mixed. Add the cheese and additional crutons and mix again. Serve immediately.