And therein lies the rub

One of the things that Kristi and I agree can make or break a dish is seasoning.  Is it seasoned enough?  Too much?  Boring?  Interesting?  Seasoning can make a simple chicken breast one of the tastiest pieces of meat while on its own it is more or less flavorless.  Same goes for mild fish, and also for a beef or pork tenderloin.  There are great seasoning blends available at just about every grocery, but one thing few people seem to do is come up with their own seasoning blend.  It is not hard to do and is very hard to get wrong.  What it comes down to is personal preference.  Think about your favorite dish, whatever it might be.  Can you remember what it is that made it so tasty?  Was it salty, spicy, sweet, herbacious, exotic?  Did it owe its character to an ethnic or regional style?  Once you come up with an answer (there really is no right or wrong when you are cooking for yourself) take a chance on approximating that flavor profile in your next dish.  Most people like to at least use a kosher or sea salt and some black pepper.  Past that garlic powder is common to most kitchens.  Then you can really take things in interesting directions.  If you like smokey flavors you can try a smoked salt to replace or augment your original salt.  You can use a smoked paprika (they do have flavor when you get a good one).  I really like ancho chili powder.  It is smokey and sweet without heat.  Earthy flavors can be good as well.  Cumin is my go to for that purpose.  To add heat the options are wide open and you can choose between styles.  Since I like southwest flavors and a smokey component I use Chipotle powder.  A little definitely goes a long way.  Cayenne is more along Kristi's line.  Other times we use red chili pepper flakes depending on the dish (pastas, sauces).  I have a blend of seasoning that I think works on just about any piece of meat from seafood to steak and have had a great time experimenting to get it there.  If you have a blend that you like or discover a combination that is interesting, please post it!