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Spices and herbs are the backbone of flavorful cooking. But since spices and herbs are two different things, I'll address them separately.

Spices are are generally only found in dried form and usually ground into a powder. Some, like nutmeg, can and should be bought in whole form.

Most spices have a limited shelf-life, and should therefore be replaced after about six months. While they won't normally spoil, they will lose their flavor over time and there's not much point to adding a flavorless spice to any dish.

The spices I consider staples, and therefore a necessity in any pantry are, in no particular order: cinnamon; nutmeg; saffron; chili powder; pepper; salt; paprika (regular and smoked); curry powder (which is actually a combination of spices); garam marsala (another combination of different spices, typically used in Indian cooking, but versatile well beyond that application); poultry seasoning (this is a really a combination of herbs ground into powder form, and is indispensable in poultry dishes, but also works well with pork); ground and whole cloves, ground ginger (I also keep fresh ginger on hand, in my freezer, at all times. It will keep for months, ground and fresh ginger are NOT interchangeable. The flavor is different for each); and Chinese Five Spice Powder (irreplaceable in Chinese cooking, but excellent in many other applications, too).

Most herbs can be purchased in both fresh and dried form. Whenever possible, I use fresh herbs because the flavor of dried herbs just doesn't compare. Fresh herbs have a much brighter, cleaner and, well, fresher flavor. Dried herbs, however, have a stronger flavor. Therefore, when substituting dried herbs for fresh in a recipe, use about half the amount of dried herbs. Conversely, if substituting fresh for dried, double the amount. Also, dried herbs hold their flavor under the heat of cooking, while the flavor of fresh herbs will break down in long cooking processes. Therefore, when making soups or stews, either use dried herbs, or remember to add the herbs in the last 15 minutes of cooking if using fresh. You can use the dried herbs in the beginning of the cooking process, and then "brighten" the flavor by adding a small amount of fresh herbs in the last few minutes of cooking.

The herbs I consider staples, and therefore keep on hand at all times are, again in no particular order:

FRESH: Italian ("flat leaf") parsley; (don't bother with "curly leaf" (regular) parsley. The cost is the same, but the flavors don't compare); cilantro; rosemary; tarragon; thyme; bay leaf; sage; dill weed; garlic; onion and chives. Since fresh herbs don't keep as long as dried herbs, only buy them as you need them and try to use them within two weeks of purchase. The shelf life can be extended if you remember to rinse the herbs as soon as you get them home, pat them dry, wrap in a damp paper towel and store in them in a zip-lock bag in the produce drawer of your refrigerator. The only exception to this rule are bay leaf (just store it in the refrigerator drawer in its original package. It will keep for months); onion and garlic. Onion and garlic should never be stored in the refrigerator. Keep them in a dark, cool, dry place until needed. Most pantries will work well for this.

DRIED: I usually keep a supply of all of the above herbs in dried form in my pantry as a "back-up," or for use in dishes that require long cooking times. In addition to the list above, I keep onion powder and garlic powder on hand for preparing my own spice and "rub" mixtures.

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