What kinds of foods do you particularly like to cook and what do you wish you could learn to make?

For pans - IMO I feel everyone needs a good large "skillet" type of pans, one steel or cast iron, and one non-stick - so two total for large skillets around 10"-13" in size or so with lids. Deep is good. I also think everyone needs a nice heavy dutch-oven type of pot & lid - enameled cast iron is awesome for this...use these for stews, roasts and braising and even baking--this type of cooking vessel can go on a stove or in an oven easy so it is very versatile. You should have a good tall boiling and steaming pot with an insert for pasta and potatoes and other needs.. Get yourself a good mesh sieve or strainer--couple varied sizes is helpful. And lastly - I think everyone needs a good small to medium size saucier pot with a heavy lid. That gives you a wide variety of cooking surfaces and areas for making a wide variety of foods and doing most anything with.. If you are getting into baking - add in a couple of assorted size sheet trays and a few deep baking pans as well..

Spices & herbs - well you need to learn about herbs and spices..the way I learned was to taste every spice and herb raw..dried and fresh...and I had to recognize and understand the flavor and the taste it had so I could understand how to use it and how much of it to use. Good herbs and spices to have on hand are Oregano, Dill. Basil, Thyme, Tarragon, Rosemary, chives, parsley and Sage for leaf...good powders to have on hand - Onion and Garlic powder, ground Cumin, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, mustard powder, Tumeric, Papprika (sweet or smoked - try both!), variety of chili powders, White pepper (adds heat) are all good ones to start with. And of course you should have basically good flake salt (I have both Kosher and sea salt) and a good pepper grinder for fresh black or assorted ground pepper. Other things for your pantry - a good white and red wine vinegar or rice vinegar, flour, corn starch, sugar, cream of tartar, both lite olive and veg oils--all of this you can expand on as you learn more.

For basic cooking - learn what you like first and learn how to handle foods safely so you do not cross contaminate etc. Get a couple of good SHARP knives - and several cutting surfaces--one for meats and others for veg only (they make them in red and green to help). And get a good thermometer. A few basics you should know to cook for example - how to make eggs in all ways...how to boil up pasta and get it cooked right...how to make rice in a pot...learn about meats--how to sear meats and use meats & cook them properly - and how to deglaze a pan to make a quick pan sauce. Also what will open up your cooking experiences - Learn to make a roux..flour and butter equal parts....learn how to add then stock or milk to make various mother-sauces. Learn how to make a basic white sauce or bechamel...and also a veloute sauce--both of which can then become so many things.. Learn to make a tomato sauce...and eventually learn to make butter/hollandaise/bearnaise sauces and so on. Those sauces and knowing how emulsions work and happen hold a big key IMO to changing up and expanding your meals greatly..and you can kick aside those cream of mushroom soup cans in the pantry forever. :)

IMO - if you learn only what I consider above to be the 'basics'..you open up a huge world of potential and possibility for yourself in cooking a wide variety of things..