master chef

So, for about a month or two now I've been responsible for making meals for the family. And the truth is, I'm starting to get really bored with it. I've proven to myself that I can make edible stuff, and I think it's time to branch out. The problem is, I don't have a clue where to go next. I can do real basic stuff, and I can follow a recipie, provided that I can get a translator for some of the far out cooking terms. (Sautee? Broil? ...okay, I guess they're not far out, but hey, I grew up in a house where high cuisine was Olive Garden, give me a break.)

Anyway, I guess, where do I go to learn some of this? In particular, I'm curious about what all those spices and things do. Also, I'm looking for something to break the routine of stuff. I get a couple nights where I'm allowed to play with new recipies the family's never tried, but they tend not to go over well. (The pea soup is an exception.)

So yeah, any help y'all could give would be wonderfully great.