Small Victories & Caesar Salad of My Dreams

Though my mother is 100% Italian and an excellent cook, we did not have that kind of kitchen relationship that you read about in cookbooks with the word "nonna" in the title. She was too busy going to law school at night -- and then, later, racking up the billable hours -- to stand at the stovetop and tell me how much garlic went into her marinara. And,…