— Pauline Lucas

You know, there are some overarching guidelines, and of course, individual results may vary depending on the type of cuisine or, you know, other, uh, preferences. But, you know, to begin with, when it comes to herbs, we have fresh herbs, we have dry herbs. Start with the dry herbs, and, you know, add a fistful of whatever, or whatever combination, you know, uh, is gonna suit the occasion early in the cooking process. So it has time to, uh, you for the flavors to draw out and to mellow. Okay? Keeping in mind that some herbs have a pretty good punch, uh, thyme and savory and rosemary come to mind as examples and taste along the way, of course. And I'm thinking about things that are simmering, things that are wet at this point, right? That are gonna draw the flavor out. If you need a little additional hit of flavor, you can, you have, you have a choice here before you get to the end of the cooking process. You can add some more dried herbs, you know, which will, but you need a little bit of time, but not so much that they mellow out and really become mild in flavored. And then at the very end, hit 'em with some fresh herbs. And, you know, fresh herbs can be a blend of herbs too. Um, when herbs are in season, uh, use 'em fresh, uh, definitely as a finishing touch to anything, and, uh, take advantage of the enjoyment of that aroma, which again, right, is the flip side of flavor. When it comes to spices, a basic approach is, um, you're going to add whole spices early again to give them a chance, uh, the, the flavor, a chance to be drawn out and for, uh, the, those harsh edges to mellow out, you know, whether it is green cardamom or black peppercorns, for example. And then later on in the cooking process, you add ground spices, um, which can give you a, a, a quick punch of flavor because it has much more surface area, so the flavors will be drawn out quicker, okay? And, um, depending on what you're making, you know, it, it, that could be all you need. If you want another layer, then at the very end, um, it is common, for example, in, uh, Indian cuisine to bloom some spices in oil, and then to add that just prior to service for that, that freshest layer, right, of aroma and flavor, and also some nice visual, uh, interest. So start out with that and, uh, give that a good practice.