All Hail the Caesar Salad

And the Immigrant Who Invented It

Caesar salad was not born in Rome.

It was born in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1924, at a restaurant called Caesar’s, by an Italian immigrant named Caesar Cardini. He had crossed the border, opened a business, and created something so good that Americans drove into Mexico specifically to eat it. Eventually, the whole country claimed it as its own.

This origin story doesn’t usually make it onto the menu.

Right now, children in classrooms across this country are disappearing from their seats, not because they moved or because they’re sick, but because they’re afraid. Parents are afraid to drop them off. Teachers are watching the empty chairs where their students used to sit.

Plyler v. Doe, a 1982 Supreme Court ruling, clearly established that every child, regardless of immigration status, has the right to attend K-12 public school. That’s not an opinion. It’s the law. And well-organized, well-funded efforts are underway to dismantle it.

Every child deserves a seat in the classroom. To learn more and add your voice, visit nilc.org.

Now make the dressing.

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Caesar Salad Dressing

Makes about 1.25 cups

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves

• 3 to 5 anchovies (packed in oil), depending on taste

• 1 tsp capers (optional)

• 2 egg yolks

• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• ½ cup olive oil, plus more if needed

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 tsp brown sugar (reserved if needed)

• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Mince the garlic, anchovies, and capers finely. Using the side of your knife, mash them into a paste by pushing and pulling the mound across the cutting board.

2. Add the paste, egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to a medium bowl. Whisk until fully combined.

3. Continue whisking as you slowly stream in the olive oil. Add it in tiny drips, and you’ll notice the mixture lightening in color and thickening as you go.

4. When all the oil is incorporated, check the consistency. Too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of water. Too thin, keep streaming in a bit more oil.

5. Add the grated Parmesan and whisk to fully combine. Taste, then add the brown sugar to balance the acidity if needed. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Enjoy!

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The Dad Briefs covers the civic, political, and quietly human stories that shape family life in America — with recipes along the way. Food, Fun and Fatherly Wisdom. Recipes for Resistance.

Be kind, and … you know.