Caesar Salad in a Parmesan Bowl

Topped with toasted capers, lush with garlic, and served up in a lacy Parmesan cheese bowl, this Caesar Salad is a sensational start for a dinner party. I've made the dressing for years and originally developed this recipe for my book Sophisticated Entertaining. The Parm bowl is something I had always wanted to try and after a bit of experimenting found that a piece of toast in the bottom of the bowl helps it keep its shape. What I like about this recipe for a dinner party is that you can make the Parm bowls, dressing, and toasted capers ahead of time and then toss it all together with the Romaine lettuce when it's time to serve.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 head Romaine lettuce, washed, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup croutons
  
  For Each Parmesan Bowl
• Olive oil
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 piece toast (white bread)
  
  Caesar Dressing
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 (2 oz.) can anchovy fillets, drained
• 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon capers
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon grainy brown mustard
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add capers and cook, stirring occasionally, until capers are crisp and toasted, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Cool to room temperature.

To make Parmesan Cheese Bowl: Use a soup-size bowl as a mold, and turn it upside down on a dinner plate. Lightly coat the entire surface of a large, non-stick skillet with olive oil, and heat over high heat. Scatter shredded Parmesan cheese in skillet; scatter up sides as well for a larger bowl. Place the toast in the center of the skillet, lightly pressing down into the cheese. Cook for 30 – 60 seconds, until the surface of the cheese appears dry and the sizzle sound stops. Use a spatula to carefully peel the cheese, in one whole piece, from the skillet and immediately invert cheese on to upside down bowl. The toast should be centered on the bowl, and the cheese sides will drape down, forming a ruffled edge. Cool completely.

To make Caesar Dressing: Place garlic and anchovies in a food processor and process until minced. Add remaining ingredients and process until mixture is smooth and blended. Pour into a large plastic container with an airtight lid. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day or until ready to serve.

Just before serving add lettuce, croutons, and dressing into a large bowl. Toss salad until thoroughly coated and transfer to Parmesan cheese bowl that is set on a dinner plate. Top each salad with toasted capers and serve.

Makes about 4 servings

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Memorial Day Food - Papaya, Jicama, and Red Onion Slaw in Blueberry Vinaigrette

• Bing! Bam! Boom! Coleslaw that will knock your socks off, and shoot bursts of color is a must on a patriotic party table whether you're celerbating Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, or another red, white, and blue holiday.

This recipe has the usual suspects in a cole slaw ingredient list, such as a few varieties of cabbage, but it takes a unique turn with the addition or jimcama, papaya, and blueberries. Jicama is a vegetable that looks like a large brown potato with an inner texture similar to an apple or water chestnut. Shreds of jicama along with the fruit give the summer slaw recipe a great crunch and fresh taste.

• 1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed
• 1/4 cup white grape juice
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 large heads red cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 medium jicama, peeled, coarsely grated
• 2 papayas, peeled, seeded, cut into small cubes (about 5 cups)
• 1 medium red onion, cut into thin slivers

Place blueberries in a large bowl, and, crush with the back of a spoon. Add white grape juice, vinegar, oil, salt, and, sugar, and, whisk together until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature over night.

Combine cabbage, jicama, papaya, and, onion in a large bowl. Pour Blueberry Vinaigrette over ingredients and toss to combine. It may be necessary to divide mixture between 2 bowls.
Serve cool or at room temperature. Store covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Makes 20 servings

Warm Lemon-Bacon Dressing on Scallop and Spinach Salad

Had an old friend over for dinner last night, and after spending the afternoon coloring 30+ Easter eggs and making a couple of loaves of delicious Easter Bread with Chocolate Chips in preparation for what I consider to be the busiest holiday for moms and dads, I wanted to make something really fresh and summery for dinner. Yep, I need it to be summer now with no homework or intense "parent-pretending" mythic holidays (i.e. being an awesome Santa or E.B.). Don't get me wrong, I love that my kids are still way into the spirit of Easter and the big ol' bunny (even though the 10-year-old knows the real deal). But, lordy me, I can't imagine how parents who aren't craftellas or craftellers (male equivalent) survive. I've been in craft/spokesperson deals with both RIT Dye for spring crafts and Michael's Arts and Crafts (a freakin' 10 city tour) and find Easter to be way more exhausting! Maybe it's because you invest so much emotionally in kid-centric holidays when you're a parent. Think about it. A kid only has about 10 cycles of a holiday where it's total magic, meaning that they still believe in Santa or the Easter Bunny, and the pressure as a parent is on! My daughter is 5-years-old, peak operating hours for creating happy holiday memories by filling the long days leading up to that morning of a sea of presents under the x-mas tree or a boat load of candy in a basket with activities to occupy their time and their precious, creative little minds. What does my mommy diatribe have to do with this salad? Cooking feeds my soul, relaxes me, helps me be a better parent.

• 8 strips bacon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 8 oz. pack sliced fresh button mushrooms
• 8 jumbo sea scallops
• 8 oz. fresh spinach leaves

Warm Lemon-Bacon Dressing

• 3 tablespoons rendered bacon fat
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• pinch of salt and pepper

Fry bacon until just crisp; reserve bacon fat. Remove bacon from pan on to a bed of paper towels to absorb grease. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop bacon.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown out 8 minutes.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops and cook until brown on underside, about 3 to 5 minutes. Flip scallops over and cook until brown on other side and just opaque (i.e. loose their glossy, translucent look and appear more of a milky white).

Add spinach, bacon, and mushrooms in a large salad bowl.

To make Warm Lemon-Bacon Dressing: Add rendered bacon fat, lemon juice, olive oil, water, sugar, salt, and pepper into a small saucepan. Cook while whisking over low heat until mixture loses its translucent appearance and any solid fat melts, about 1 to 3 minutes.

Remove dressing from heat and pour most over spinach and ingredients in salad bowl; toss until
ingredients are coated. Arrange scallops on top of salad and drizzle remaining dressing over them. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Photo credit: wwsocookbook on flickr