I have never been much of a cook. I can do alright basic dishes, but nothing too fancy or complex. It's one more areas I am trying to improve myself.
Cooking something new is always scary. There are certain list of foods we have used to eat in our household and deviating from those safe defaults is always a risk.
So it's not always easy to just try something new. It's not just the risk that I don't get everything right. It can also be just the fact that those new flavours don't satisfy our delicate taste.
On the other hand, knowing this, when you do succeed and others like what you have made it's a great encouragement. If somebody likes those new things I cook every now and then, it's enough to keep me trying. Not everything needs to be a hit. They can at least give some direction.
One indication that I have progressed was today. Usually I need to look up and follow recipes. But putting together something that just happens to be there is a complete different story. It needs deeper knowledge about how different incridients fit together and how to properly prepare them. And when you happen to get those right, you can make an excellent meal even from leftovers.