turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, fennel seed, dried red chilies or cayenne, cumin seed, coriander seed, bay leaves, whole cloves, whole nutmeg, dried oregano and dried thyme.

http://www.afoodyear.com/2009/02/24/the-ideal-spice-rack/

Cayenne in tiny quantities perks up the flavor of many dishes, especially those with eggs, potatoes, tomatoes and cream sauces. It doesn’t taste spicy, it just tastes better.

An 1/8th of a teaspoon or less of curry powder in a cheese sauce will allow you to cut back on the quantity of cheese without loss of flavor. In small quantities it adds a subtle, delicious and unidentifiable background flavor.

Paprikas, mild, hot or smoked, are kitchen essentials. Add to vinaigrette dressings, spaghetti sauce, bean dishes, stews, BBQ sauce. Chicken, mushrooms, onions and LOTS of mild paprika browned, cooked with a little white wine and a scant tablespoon of tomato paste until done and finished with sour cream stirred in, served over rice or noodles – yummm! Comfort food indeed. Variations with veal or pork are good too.

Mustard is a spice, and who could live or cook without mustard?!

Technique counts. You’ll get more herb and spice flavor into meats if you marinade them. In soups and stews, some of the spice/herb added at the beginning helps the flavor permeate the dish for subtle flavor, while a little added at the end gives a fresher, bolder flavor, so you can do either or both depending on mood.

But salt is the most basic spice for flavor. People who are trying to cut down on salt often think they will have more control over their salt intake if they don’t salt food until after it is served. Big mistake.

Pasta, rice, beans, meats and vegetables that absorb water or oil as they cook will be terminally bland, or require much MORE salt at the table to taste good if they are cooked in unsalted water or not salted before frying.

And marjoram is an “italian” flavor?
What planet are you on?

Montreal has some fabulous resteraunts, many of them Indian or Pakistani: yum !

Oregano: Origanum vulgare
Marjoram: Origanum majorana

Apples and Crabapples-which taste entirely different, are in the same genus.

Growing fresh herbs is even better. I live up North and grow chives and mint as perennials. I think I really need to try basil or rosemary with a grow light. Mmmm.

Try cooking sliced up steak with a little lemon, olive oil and rosemary. If you really want to get fancy, ad some cheap red wine.

Rosemary really brings out the subtleties in red meat.

By the way, I second the recommendation for turmeric – it’s a very tasty and healthy spice. If you want to try a recipe with turmeric, make Mollie Katzen’s Gypsy Soup from the Moosewood Cookbook. You can find the recipe at http://www.tenspeedpress.com/inside/page.php3?ftr=167

I can’t believe you overlooked garlic! One thing: try putting in a little. Garlic can overwhelm a dish if you aren’t careful. (I know, some people like that. :) If you must go with powdered, don’t get garlic salt – get garlic powder, and leave it alone in a little bit of liquid for ten minutes before you use it to let it rehydrate.

Get some cayenne pepper! You might think, “I don’t like spicy foods,” but just a little bit of cayenne (think 1/8 of a teaspoon) wakes up many dishes without making them spicy.

Get a whole nutmeg. Yes, you need to grate it yourself, but it lasts forever and is wonderful in creamy sauces. Don’t use too much, and it will be a good friend.

Finally, kosher salt really isn’t that much more expensive, and it adds wonderful taste. As an added bonus, you might find you don’t need as much of it!

Spring project: get a couple pots and plant some herb plants in them (Let Simon and Garfunkel be your guide: parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme). This will cost about $2/plant, or, the same that the herbs would be if you bought them fresh at the store. Let them grow a week or two, and then start using them. You will save money and your food will be much, much better.

Another food tip: instead of buying boullion, make your own stock whenever your have meat & bones leftover from a meal. Freeze it. Yum.