Caesar salad

On its own a Caesar is a starter; with grilled chicken or a few anchovy-laced croutons the size of a thumb it becomes a meal, and the dressing is the reason to bother. Caesar Cardini is generally credited with improvising it at his restaurant in Tijuana on 4 July 1924, using romaine, egg, Parmesan, lemon and Worcestershire sauce. Making the dressing yourself takes ten minutes with a whisk: egg yolk, garlic, lemon, anchovy and good olive oil, finished with plenty of grated Parmesan. Grill the chicken while the croutons toast and the whole thing is on the table in about half an hour. Romaine wilts quickly once dressed, so it packs only if the dressing goes in a separate pot.