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Caprese salad is a simple Italian salad, made of sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil, seasoned with salt, and olive oil. It is usually arranged on a plate in restaurant practice. Like pizza Margherita, it features the colors of the Italian flag: green, white, and red.
In 2006 I spent the summer working in Sicily with a awesome YOUNGER guy who had PHD in Canadian military history and was a professor at a top Canadian University. We spent a lot of time together studying the battlefields of WWII in Sicily where many Canadian and American forces, along with other allied forces, battled.
This young professor spent many years in Italy working on his PHD and doing research for books on Canadian Military History. We ate many meals together, and one day he shared his "Caprese Salad Theory".
The professor said a caprese salad will tell you exactly how the rest of the meal will be. The caprese salad is a extremely simple salad to make, yet the quality of a caprese salad has a huge spread, from outstanding to poor. The professor stated if the restaurant can get the salad right, they will have everything else right. But if the caprese salad is not good, the restaurant is not competent.
I have tested the professor's caprese salad theory over the past 15 years- and he is spot on. Anytime I have had a outstanding caprese salad, the rest of the meal was excellent. When the simple to make salad was not good, the rest of the meal was likely not so good.
Last night in Bangkok I went to a small Italian restaurant, 4.5 stars on google reviews. I was excited to try this restaurant as the reviews stated the owner was Italian and he was the cook/ chef. After sitting down, I ordered the caprese salad. A huge disappointment. The tomato was not ripe, super low quality tomato, and even the core ends of the tomato were not removed. The basil simply a few dried specs of the herb, and the cheese was a poor of a quality of any fresh mozzarella I have ever had. Super disappointed. From my drink, to the main course of chicken with mushrooms, all disappointing.
The professor's theory seems to be spot on. Maybe one should not order a main course at a Italian restaurant until after they eat the caprese salad.
Below are two pictures, the first picture is the salad I had last night (what's with the lettuce garnish???), another of what might be a good caprese salad.
Of note, Thailand is bursting at the seams with fresh produce and fresh herbs. No reason whatsoever for the caprese salad I had last night to be of such poor quality.
In 2006 I spent the summer working in Sicily with a awesome YOUNGER guy who had PHD in Canadian military history and was a professor at a top Canadian University. We spent a lot of time together studying the battlefields of WWII in Sicily where many Canadian and American forces, along with other allied forces, battled.
This young professor spent many years in Italy working on his PHD and doing research for books on Canadian Military History. We ate many meals together, and one day he shared his "Caprese Salad Theory".
The professor said a caprese salad will tell you exactly how the rest of the meal will be. The caprese salad is a extremely simple salad to make, yet the quality of a caprese salad has a huge spread, from outstanding to poor. The professor stated if the restaurant can get the salad right, they will have everything else right. But if the caprese salad is not good, the restaurant is not competent.
I have tested the professor's caprese salad theory over the past 15 years- and he is spot on. Anytime I have had a outstanding caprese salad, the rest of the meal was excellent. When the simple to make salad was not good, the rest of the meal was likely not so good.
Last night in Bangkok I went to a small Italian restaurant, 4.5 stars on google reviews. I was excited to try this restaurant as the reviews stated the owner was Italian and he was the cook/ chef. After sitting down, I ordered the caprese salad. A huge disappointment. The tomato was not ripe, super low quality tomato, and even the core ends of the tomato were not removed. The basil simply a few dried specs of the herb, and the cheese was a poor of a quality of any fresh mozzarella I have ever had. Super disappointed. From my drink, to the main course of chicken with mushrooms, all disappointing.
The professor's theory seems to be spot on. Maybe one should not order a main course at a Italian restaurant until after they eat the caprese salad.
Below are two pictures, the first picture is the salad I had last night (what's with the lettuce garnish???), another of what might be a good caprese salad.
Of note, Thailand is bursting at the seams with fresh produce and fresh herbs. No reason whatsoever for the caprese salad I had last night to be of such poor quality.
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