Bouquet garni--little bundles of herbs and spices tied together with twine or wrapped in cheesecloth. These packets are added to soups, stocks, sauces, braises, or any other dish with a lot of liquid and a long simmer. A bouquet garni (pronounced boo-kay gahr-nee) keeps all the herbs together, making them easy to remove.

Parsley, thyme, and bay leaf are the standard trio. Use four or five parsley stems, a sprig or two of thyme, and a bay leaf.

Other aromatics can give your dish a more complex flavor. A few whole cloves add a touch of warmth and sweetness; a strip of citrus zest enhances meat-based stews and braises; a sprig of rosemary, sage, or savory sets a Mediterranean tone; and a garlic clove is a welcome addition to almost any selection of herbs.

You can tie a bouquet garni with twine, but if you're using small spices like peppercorns or cloves, or if you're worried about thyme leaves getting into a clear soup, you should bind everything in a more secure wrapping. Cheesecloth is ideal (some chefs call this kind of bouquet garni a sachet), but leek leaves or wide celery ribs also work. If the leek leaves are especially thick and difficult to fold, soften them first by dropping them briefly in boiling water or zapping them in the microwave.

Some cooks leave a few inches of twine on the bouquet garni and tie the end to the pot handle so it's easier to retrieve.