Also, most of the pro chefs that I have watched will add salt throughout cooking (especially if it is a dish they can taste as they go) to make sure the balance stays right.
Also, you may be interested in Cook's Illustrated "The Science of Good Cooking"; the book goes through a lot of the "why" behind basic techniques and recipes.
Really everything from salads to grilled meat. If you use good olive oil, cooking it will remove its taste, so it's really a waste. If you want to taste some good olive oil, you have to eat it raw.
> Also, most of the pro chefs that I have watched will add salt throughout cooking (especially if it is a dish they can taste as they go) to make sure the balance stays right
I know, but then I tried this at home many times and I could not taste a difference. Perhaps there is a slight difference but I wouldn't expect any home chef to notice.
Fresh pepper and olive oil always taste better than cooked pepper and cooked oil. Garlic is better when slightly cooked. Same for herbs like mint, coriander, etc. that I don't cook anymore.
How about a stewed tomato dish? Eggplant Parmesan? Curry? Stuff where salt and oil would have literally any chance of penetrating or affecting the chemistry for more than a few minutes or millimeters? It fairly clearly works better afterward for stuff that doesn't, but that's hardly all or even most food.
I toast my peppercorns before cracking them for Thai and Vietnamese dishes or whenever I need smoke without piquancy.
I don't saute with EVOO because it's got one of the lowest smoke points. I also don't necessarily want everything I dress to taste like olive oil, and I use a range of fats for complement.
Salt, like many ingredients, takes time to distribute, so adding it at the end won't enhance a dish unless the desired flavor is "salt". Soups, stews, and meat all benefit from pre-salting. Dissolving salt in water before adding it to doughs and batters is better than adding it dry is better than baking without salt and adding it at the end. Time is key.
Garlic depends on the dish. I frequently use raw grated garlic in South American and Korean, cook it low and slow until it's sticky golden and then add fresh right off the heat for "American" Italian, or crush a clove to saute in oil and then discard for traditional Italian. I mostly agree about the herbs, but I also cook with them add more for garnish.
I've got some eclectic culinary styles and preferences by most standards, so I usually fish a little during conversation so I can taylor for my guests' tastes without making it obvious. The point is really to have a good time.
If you're not able to taste a difference when you're adding salt you might want to try a different size or type of salt. I have maybe 5 or 6 different granularities and types I use for difference times at home.
Salt draws out liquids in aromatics that affects how they brown. Try sauteing side by side onions where you add salt at the beginning and the end and the texture and color of the onions will be completely different.