Spices, herbs, etc.

[MYellowRose]

What do you use most in the way of seasonings for your food?
I find I'm using more cumin(o) and chili powder than ever before. Have always used garlic and love it. Salt is something I omit most of the time unless it's absolutely necessary like in baking.

[Pigzzilla]

I have a big jug of Parsley Patch All Purpose that I put in just about everything...except sweets. It is salt free and seems to have a little bit of everything in it.

[hillbilly_mom]

I have a friend that sells herb blends and I use her smokeN seasonings the most. It gives everything a wonderful smoky flavor. It tastes like it was grilled. By far that is the bottle I reach for the most, after the basic salt and pepper.

[AgnesNutter]

I've been trying to cook various Indian dishes lately, so cumin, turmeric, and garam masala (mix of spices) have been used more in my kitchen lately, along with the standard salt, pepper, and garlic.

Indian cuisine is a wonderful example of the great things you can do with cheap, basic ingredients like beans, rice, spinach, potatoes, tomatoes, etc. If you've no stomach for spice though, proceed with caution. ;D

To really get into it, though, hopefully you can find spices cheap somewhere- because cilantro, anise, and other odd things can end up in the mix.