Herbs are a great way to add pizzazz to the meals you cook, but if they cook too long, they'll lose most of their flavor. There are two ways to avoid this: either wait until just before you're done to add the herbs, or add extra herbs just before you serve the dish.

Bouquet garni adds a classy touch to many dishes, but the bay leaves, rosemary stems, and thyme sprigs can be unsightly and a bit hard to swallow. Be sure to tie your herb mix into cheesecloth before putting it in the recipe you're cooking, so you'll get the flavor without the debris.

Brownies are fun to cook, and you can tell they're done when the edges get hard and the glaze cracks. To add an extra dimension to the experience, use your favorite soda pop instead of water in the mix, to give a nice fruity flavor to the final product.