roast the fennel seed with some salt and turneric powder and its a great after dinner mint which helps digestion especially after a heavy "indian" meal!

Fennel seed is my absolute favorite spice. I think this is because I love sausage, and the more fennel seed in it the more I love it. I use it in almost everything particularly tomato based items such as spaghetti sauce or chili.

I use it at a digestive tea - it works great! 1-2 tsp, lightly crushed, steeped in cup with hot water for a few minutes.

I just tried fennel for the first time last night when I made the pappa al pomodoro featured on here a couple of days ago (came out nice, by the way!). I don't like licorice so I was unsure about the fennel, but I put it in the sauce and just thought... why have I never used this before?!?

I sprinkle a few seeds on a very simple fig and prosciutto tart that I make. The fennel seeds really tie together and enhance the flavors of the figs and prosciutto.

I love fennel seeds when they're baked into rye bread. So good! Also, good for sausage and meatballs.

I love fennel seed. It is really good for digestion, but in North Indian cooking, it is roasted and powdered and put into eggplant dishes. The other day, I took a mini eggplant and stuffed it with a number of spices, including powdered fennel seed - it was delicious.

i don't like to use it as i'm horribly allergic. this does seem like a good place to ask though, can other similarly flavored spices be subbed for it? or are the flavor profiles not as similar as they seem?

Love fennel seed but dont' think to add it to dishes all that much. Italian sausage isn't the same without it.

I discovered that my morning oatmeal fresh oj chopped dried apricots ground/crunched/whizzed/made-small fennel seeds = WIN!

@amywynne: Would you pass on the recipe for the fig and prosciutto tart, please? Thanks!

I'm second fifty4's request. Why use fennel seed instead of anise?

I use it in spicy carrot soup. The first step is adding a teaspoon of whole seeds to the pot and letting them heat a bit.

Recipe is here:

http://carlskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/12/spicy-creamy-carrot-soup.html

My two favourite things to do with fennel:

1. Roast fresh fennel, celery, garlic, fennel seed and diced tomatoes in the oven. (Add the tomatoes near the end, after vegetables are soft and a bit browned.) Toss with pasta.

2. In panchphoran, and Indian spice blend. I use the recipe from Madhur Jaffrey, but there are many available online, such as this one http://indianfood.about.com/od/masalarecipes/r/paanchphoran.htm

Mmm, fennel. I like to use it over spinach and with other spices and butter (adapted from Nigel Slater). And it's also good in a basic salad dressing that can be used over warm roasted vegetables and salad leaves.

I love the combination of canned italian tomatoes and fennel. Fennel is what gives my tomato sauce its soul. I fry two cloves of garlic in two teaspoons high quality butter, add a teaspoon of fennel seeds which have been ground (or in my case, chopped finely with a knife) and add a can of tomatoes (preferably plum or cherry). Simmer for 45 minutes.

If you add a can of drained chickpeas, some grated parmesan and lemon juice to this (add salt and pepper to taste), I'm in gastronomical heaven!

My mom uses Michael Chiarello's Fennel Spice rub on everything and it is delicious--especially grilled chicken or fish, or on roasted veggies:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/fennel-spice-rub-recipe/index.html

For red ragu-style pasta sauce and any kind of chicken.

I throw it in a jar with vodka and some other spices and let it sit for a few weeks.

I love them baked into and sprinkled on top of a seeded loaf of bread-- just a couple mixed in with some other seeds. Also in italian sausage, on grissini, and tossed once in awhile into a dish! I like it alongside the fresh fennel in this dish:
http://theweekendgourmande.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/kitchen-firsts-pasta-with-braised-fennel-and-bacon/