A Fiesta just opened up nearby and they have a large selection of dried chiles. I see these used on cooking shows in lots of interesting ways. I figured there's bound to be someone here that knows a boatload.

Wondering things like -

• When to soak vs grind for seasoning
• The different flavor profiles and what they might be suited for
• Relative heat levels
• When you do/don't want to remove seeds

Obvious uses I'm thinking of would be chili, salsas, enchilada sauces, soups. Any advice for those would be great. Twisted Root has an ancho-ketchup that I really like.

Use them to replace any instance of chili powder in a recipe. Here's my go to on how to prepare them:

Step Aside, Old Chili Powder: How to Prepare Whole Dried Chilies for the Best Powder and Puree