I got really into using fennel pollen a few years ago when I got addicted to Mario Batali’s Goat Cheese Tortelloni with Dried Orange and Fennel Pollen. The first time I made it I didn’t have fennel pollen sitting around in my pantry, so I used Batali’s suggested alternative: ground up fennel seeds. The pollen, I quickly found, makes a difference. And so I started using it on everything. A pinch of this stuff, makes magic happen.