I think that the best thing I ever did for myself and cooking was experimenting with spices. You know ('cause we've comisserated) that I grew up in the same "ground beef plus cream of something soup equals dinner" household, so I got to college and was all "ummm ... what's tumeric?"

I have found that cooking with vegetables (stir fries, fried rice with veg, pasta with veg, roast veg) was a good way to experiment with spices. Because they have a less overwhelming flavor than meat, you can taste more what the spices do.

Personally, I love making curry (Indian-style and Thai-style). I'd be happy to send you (vague) recipies if you want.