There is nothing better than sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and herbs. It makes the simple tomato into a gourmet appetizers and it's so simple. Herbs add flavor to our foods from the appetizer to the main course. Herbs are great to use because you won't have to use much oil to have a pretty and healthful dish. Herbs can bring up your imagination when cooking. If you aren't a real good cook, just add a few herbs and your guests will rave about your cooking.
Herbs have been used in cooking for centuries; depending on what type of herbs is used you can usually tell what part of the world the dish is from. Italian cooking is known for it's usage of basil sage and oregano. During World War I garlic was used to help heal the wounds of the soldiers, it is also known to cure many diseases such as high blood pressure. Although it stinks, it is magnificent in almost any dish you want to prepare. Although it is not good on ice cream, it is still an astonishing herb. It can be sauteed, used raw, treat a wooden salad bowl so the flavor comes out in the salad, there are many different ways to use it. You can use it in salads, fish, meat dishes, and vegetables.
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Herbs are usually put into two different categories, mild and full bodied or robust. A mild herb such as marjoram, basil, parsley and dill are considered mild herbs. Then you have the robust ones such as rosemary, tarragon, thyme and sage. These herbs should mix well with most dishes. When cooking homemade soups or stews you should use the robust herbs as they add a strong flavor to the dish.
The best way to learn about cooking with herbs is get a book that explains all the herbs and their uses. Try growing you own herbs as there is nothing better than walking out to the garden and picking fresh herbs for dinner. If you do not have room for a garden, you can always grow them in pots on the window sill. Other than being great for cooking they look and smell wonderful. When cooking with fresh herbs versus dried ones watch the amount you use. Dried herbs are much more concentrated than fresh. The rule of thumb is when using dried herbs the amount should be cut in half of using fresh herbs.