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Basil is really good with tomatoes, (think pasta or tomato soup) experiment with other stuff but especially tomatoes.

Bay Leaves add a slight bitterness to the dish it is mixed with, which makes them good in sauces and stocks. Never crush bay leaf, always cook whole, and remove before serving. The plant is derived from the laurel plant, whose leaves are poisonous, so once you have cooked the flavor out of them, discard the leaves. The bay leaves themselves are mildly poisonous (can cause an upset stomach, but don't tell your guests, this might upset them).

Black Pepper goes with salt in cute little shakers can be cooked with on a regular basis. I prefer freshly ground pepper as it tastes much better.

Chili Powder should not be confused with anything you should ever cook with. Chili powders typically are made of ground chilies, cumin, garlic, oregano, and other spices. Level of heat depends on where you buy it.

Chile Peppers come in many varieties. You simply need to know that you do not like these. Most common variety is jalapeno. Do not eat them. They come in about nine varieties with different levels of heat.

Cilantro is one of three things: Chinese parsley, the Mexican version of coriander, or cilantro. These three terms all point to the same spice. Cilantro often "grows up" to be coriander, but they do not have quite the same flavor

Cloves are usually good in stuff that you would add cinnamon too as well. Hot apple cider, baked stuff, squash and sweet potatoes, etc.

Curry Powder is hot. If you do not like hot it is better for you to avoid. If you want to cook with curry go for the "Western" version which is less hot

Cinnamon is a spice which is really popular and fun to use mostly (but not only) in sweet stuff.

Dill is something that I use in so many dishes. Including all kinds of eggs

Garlic is used in anything with a vaguely strong taste, soups, pastas, meat dishes, etc. Garlic powder is a convenient form of the spice, also fresh and in flakes, recipes will usually indicate which you should use.

Ginger is probably not a spice that you would not use that much. It is also handy for soups and stir fry.

Mustard is typically available in three varieties: whole, ground, and prepared. Yellow mustard seeds are the most common variety, and are frequently used in pickling spice mixes, potato salad, and cabbage dishes. Oriental seeds add a pungent, hot flavor to dishes, and the brown (sometimes called black mustard) seeds are somewhere in between. Ground is essentially the same stuff, but brown mustard is not typically found ground.

Nutmeg is one of those sweet spices. Ground nutmeg is really quite strong, and is used sparingly - but goes well with vegetable recipes, especially squash, just about anything that is baked (think pies and fruit baked stuff), and in cream soups.

Onions are available in several forms - the most common of which is the yellow onion. Yellow onions are slightly sweet, and have a light yellowish covering on them. Red onions are a little more tart, and have the characteristic purplish covering. White onions are smaller than yellow onions, but are otherwise not much different. Scallions and green onions are essentially the same thing, and have a very mild onion flavor. Shallots are miniature white onions, and have a flavor that lies in between the yellow onion and the scallions.

Oregano is ground or dried leaves go well with just about anything that has tomato in it, and fresh leaves work well in vegetable dishes and salads.

Paprika is ground pepper, and it is available in two varieties - sweet, and hot. It is frequently used as a garnish with deviled eggs, potato or pasta salads, baked chickens and fish, Makes for a nifty addition to colorless foods.

Parsley is used for flavor and decoration, being pretty and green and all. Parsley is a great addition to chicken dishes, and powdered soups frequently have dried parsley in the spice packet.

Peppercorns are popular in meats, sauces, gravies, and other dishes. White pepper is essentially the same thing as black pepper, only it is white in color. It has exactly the same flavor, but is good for sauces and dishes where the color of black pepper would mar the appearance.

Poppy Seeds are great as a topping on breads and pastries, and works well as addition to noodles and salad greens. Do not use poppy seeds prior to a drug test.

Rosemary is a popular spice in chicken dishes, as well as tomato dishes and lamb. The spice is available as whole needles, cracked needles, and ground. Use sparingly.

Thyme works well in any heavy dish, like soups, stews, stuffing's, and roast chicken. It is a good general-use spice.

Vanilla is available in two forms, as a bean, and as an extract. I only use the real extract as opposed to the imitation. It is used in all kinds of baked foods, including French Toast.

Cinnamon Orange Chicken

3-4 pounds chicken cut into serving pieces
1 cup chicken broth
1 stick margarine
2 cups orange juice
1 cup raisins
Fresh black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour

1. Heat margarine in large skillet, and brown chicken.
2. Remove chicken pieces to slow cooker as they brown.
3. Combine all other ingredients, except flour, mix well and pour over chicken.
4. Cover pot, turn on LOW and cook 4-6 hours, or until chicken is tender.
5. Remove 1 cup of sauce from the pot and combine with flour, mixing well.
6. Return sauce - flour mixture to pot.
7. Turn pot on HIGH, and cook additional half hour.