By: Robin Kurss

My son Eric’s college roommate has quite a following on Instagram. He has parlayed his cooking talents into a new cookbook titled Every Leaf, Every Stem. The book is an amazing conglomeration of vegetarian dishes…and he has credited Eric as inspiration for a couple of them. I’ve been using these on every vegetable, salad, and pasta I’ve made since I received the cookbook a couple of weeks ago!

Ingredients:
• 1 (2) oz can of anchovies, packed in oil (or ¼ c drained capers for a vegetarian option)
• ¼ c olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 c breadcrumbs (I like panko)
• 1 tsp crushed red chili flakes
• 1 tsp dried herb of choice…thyme, oregano, etc.

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies plus their oil to the pan along with the ¼ cup of olive oil, and cook, stirring and mashing the anchovies until they melt into the oil…about 3 minutes.
2. Finely grate the garlic into the oil and then add the breadcrumbs, chili flakes, and dried herbs. Stir to combine and cook until the crumbs are toasted and crisp, for about 5 minutes.
3. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the crumbs cool completely in the pan. Store in an airtight container for 3 days at room temp or in the freezer for up to 2 months.