:) I'm gonna be more mindful of it, see what paying attention to the process reveals.

This is how I made menus and additions as a chef. Especially once you learn how different techniques can transform the same ingredients or combinations of ingredients, it becomes very much like mentally passing things through a logic gate to understand what the outcome will be.

Call it the Flavor Gate. I call it cooking with my tastebuds even tho I might not sample anything till it's done.