In order to be able to handle, work with and understand ingredients we continue to expose our palates to as many flavors and tastes that we can get our hands on. By expanding the knowledge base of ingredients and thus combinations our abilities to improvise and adapt in the kitchen become more polished and rehearsed.
It is interesting to note that in order to improvise we must first have a rock solid base of not only fundamentals, but ingredient combinations and a knowledge of their inner self. In searching for the knowledge while exposing our palates we raise the level in which we may perform in an improvisational manner and thus hopefully improve dining experiences and allow ourselves to raise our culinary benchmarks.