Antoine Asturrizaga, Maitre'd Santa Fe Hotel, with his beloved Caesar Salad

Finding a Caesar Salad on local menus is easy, but finding an "authentic one" is nearly impossible! The Caesar is easily the most bastardized culinary item in existence today. Antoine Asturrizaga says he actually met the inventor of the Caesar Salad - Alex Cardini of Mexico City. Antoine trained at the famed Cordon Blue Culinary School and later worked at the Ritz-Carlton in Paris and Chicago and the famed Savoy Hotel of London.

Antoine helped design and opened Suzettes Restaurant at the Santa Fe in 1994. He prepares his classic Caesar tableside. Here's Antoine's recipe for you to try at your table.

Serves 2

- 1 head of cleaned and torn romaine lettuce
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 4 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup of freshly made croutons
- 4 fillets of anchovies
- 1 "colluded" egg yolk
- 1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon of French Dijon mustard
- 1/2 lemon crown
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Mix all condiments in a large bowl. Crush the garlic and anchovies at the end of the dressing preparation. Add romaine lettuce and toss. Top with croutons and add Parmesan cheese to taste.

Enjoy a salad Mr. Cardini would be proud of!