Crunchy Bits

Toasted or olive oil–fried bread crumbs are the “Parmesan of the poor,” often more flavorful than cheese, according to Marcella Hazan. And they are simple to make. The unforgettable cook and teacher of authentic Italian cuisine proved her point in one of her inspiring workshops at the Worlds of Flavor conference in Napa, where she prepared a variety of toasted bread crumbs. The multicolored medley was flavored with herbs and anchovies, spices, garlic, and different nuts, and colored with carrots and beets. Tasting those deliciously crunchy bits alongside “ordinary” grated Parmesan, the king of cheeses, was a real revelation for me.