Hmm! I hope the cooking progresses. I make some things that aren't quite as yummy as I would hope also. Sometimes I make them repeatedly because I have not idea how to make it better.
My idea of cooking is to take a recipe or a number of similar ones and use what ingredients I have on hand. I may make something pretty much according to instructions the first time but from then on I seldom do. Of course cakes, cookies etc are pretty much according to the recipe but main dishes I tend to play around with.