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HEALTHY KITCHEN: BECOME A PRO WITH HERBS AND SPICES

One of the easiest and most effective ways to make your meals deliciously inviting is to use herbs and spices. Plus, it's fun! With these seasonings (some of which, by the way, make great alternatives to salt in many foods) you can brighten up or give wonderful new flavor to almost any dish, from appetizers to desserts. You can add international flair, or just a touch of sophistication - whatever you'd like. Here's a crash course in using them.
As a general rule, "a spice is hot, an herb is not." Thus, most spices (for example, cloves, ginger, sage, cinnamon, mustard, and cardamom) are strongly aromatic, lending a pronounced "nip" or "bite" to foods, whereas herbs (like basil, chives, tarragon, and dill) usually contribute more subtle flavors. (There are, however, exceptions in both cases.)
When cooking with herbs and spices, remember that they're best used to enhance or complement the natural flavors of foods, not to overpower or mask them, as salt so often does. Since a little goes a long way, use a bit of restraint when experimenting with an herb or spice for the first time. Of course, there are no "right" herbs or spices for a particular food, nor are there any "right" amounts to use - your own taste is the ultimate guide. Whatever your preference, though, you'll probably find our herb and spice chart a good guide for flavoring ideas.
To preserve both taste and aroma, store all dried herbs and spices (commercial or home-dried) in airtight jars or nonporous containers in a cool, dark, and dry place. Never store them near the heat and moisture of a stove, and do keep them away from direct sunlight, which bleaches color and reduces strength. Be sure, however, to keep your herbs handy, within easy reach of your food-preparation area, so it will be easy to use them regularly.
Dried herbs and spices are best if used within six months to a year, so you might want to write the date you bought herbs and spices (or stored homemade) on the containers. On the other hand, some people just judge them by aroma and taste: If you have to sniff when you open the container, or use a lot to get the flavor you want, chances are the seasoning has lost most of its punch.
If you're just beginning to use herbs and spices, you'll find the following suggestions for cooking with these real flavor enhancers helpful:
• To maximize the flavor of dried herbs, soak them for several minutes in a liquid to be used in the recipe, like stock, lemon juice, or vinegar.
(You wouldn't need to do this, however, for a long-simmering soup or stew.)
• Add herbs during the last thirty to forty-five minutes of cooking - they lose their flavor with prolonged exposure to heat.
• For cold foods seasoned with herbs and spices, flavor develops with refrigeration time. So chill the dish several hours or overnight for best flavor.
• For foods served hot, add whole spices early. Add ground spices, which release their flavors more quickly, near the end.
• Use frozen herbs in the same amounts as fresh. Add them in their frozen form to foods that are heated; allow them to thaw before adding to foods served cold.
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