Q: My market's hit or miss with fresh herbs. What's a good rule of thumb for using dried instead of fresh?

A: In general, use one-third the amount of dried herbs to replace chopped fresh. So if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, use 1 teaspoon dried. To release the most flavor, add dried herbs toward the beginning of cooking. One caveat: Cilantro, basil and parsley are so tender and delicate; they lose their flavor when dried. If you don't have these fresh leaves on hand, just omit them and add more salt and pepper for flavor.