Good old olive oil, salt and black pepper are my mainstays and work with almost everything I eat.

It depends on what I'm cooking. If the recipe uses chopped onion, I use that but might add a little onion powdwer as well. I use pre-diced garlic as well as garlic powder. Of course, that just the tip of the spice icebert (spiceberg?). Though I'm only an amateur at cooking I'm trying to learn how to use a wider variety of herbs and spices.

Garlic and onion powder taste chemical and nasty. Never use them.

I vastly prefer using fresh garlic and onions. It's not hard. Cooking with fresh, whole natural foods is better for you and tastes better.

If there were some horrible accident and I didn't have onions/garlic cloves in the cabinet...I suppose I'd use the powders. But, truly, I'd most likely go to the store and buy the real deals!

I use gobs of fresh onions & garlic, but I do use dried spices too. different chili peppers, dried herbs, different spices but I love to cook so I have an extensive spice rack.

My best dish this year has been Indian butter goat.

Though honestly I'd prefer fresh garlic, and onion to anything powdered any day.

Along with other spices and herbs that go with whatever meat I am cooking.