shit doesnt grow, it comes out of youI'm terrible at growing shit.
eatStar anise is another star (along with the other four of the classic Asian five spice blend).
Ground cayenne pepper is my jam. Goes with virtually any dish if you're looking for some heat.
As for hot pepper as a spice, Dave's also has a Dave's Insanity Spice, which is ground habanero peppers like the standard pizza topping, but with added pepper extract. A tiny amount of this goes a long way, and even using it nearly daily, a small shaker of it lasted well over a year.
Cilantro is good only pussies complain about it tasting like soap. You know who you are.
pesto is proof that god is real and is looking out for usIt's apparently genetic. It just tastes like shit to some people. When I was a kid, I actually hated it because it tastes like soap. Oddly, I now love it, but I still do think it tastes kind of like soap. I've just learned to like that particular flavor of soap, I guess.
Also, I forgot to list basil. My favorite is sweet basil, specifically for pesto and pizza margherita. I generally wouldn't use sweet basil as an all purpose herb, though. I also like lemon basil and Thai holy basil. Why is it holy? I have no idea. But it's pretty good in the dishes that use it.