Scott wrote:
> ...on the timing or at what stage you should add your spices and herbs?

Depends which spices, which herbs, and what's cookin'.

Some spices for particular dishes are best dry toasted or sauted in
oil. Some fresh herbs like garlic may be sauted first, or not. Dried
herbs really should be rehydrated in cold water prior to using,. they
won't fully rehydrate in acidic/hot liquids, especially tomato. With
many dishes I like to add spices and herbs in layers, that is add a
bit periodically throughout the cooking... especially with fresh herbs
like garlic and onion, for example a lot of the aroma/flavor or garlic
added at the beginning of a stew will disapate, so it's a good idea to
add more spaced out up until the last 20 minutes or so.. add a fat
clove towards the end that has been cross cut partially through so it
can release flavor and be easily fished out. Mostly how one uses
spices and herbs depends on how well one wants to cook... some just
dump everything in, walk away, and hope for the best... others
actually involve themselves intimately throughout the entire cooking
process. Books really won't make you a cook, in fact anyone who
relies on cook books can't cook, and never will. Using a cook book to
cook is like watching golf on TV and think they'll become Tiger Woods.