Why do I crave anchovies?

Roasted garlic and Spanish anchovy pizza, Spaghetti with cracklings and hot peppers

Before you tell me I should know the answer, I do know the answer. Umami is the reason that I can’t get enough of anchovies. The flavor is part of it. The saltiness has a key role, and the crunch of barely remembered bones plays into my texture mania. But even so there’s just….something about them. And I guess it’s umami.

Last night, I ate a Roasted Garlic and Spanish Anchovy pizza at Scampo’s bar. I’d been craving pizza, and this one was just what I wanted — nothing wimpy about this pizza. Oh, it was nothing to look at, not a pretty thing like tomato and mozzarella or one with zucchini blossoms and figs. This one included some potato slices and red onion but it was basically a chunky mass with distinct curves of anchovy on a crackly, puffy edged crust. (To her credit, Lydia Shire is never afraid to let flavor trump everything.) And it was sooo good.

In fact, there’s a cold slice left over in my refrigerator that’s calling to me. Will I be able to resist?