When I was in the US, salmon became a go-to part of my diet. I bought it raw, cooked it in a big pan with potatoes, carrots and tomatoes, and my digestion slowly got better after some issues I'd had with the local food.
After my return to Russia, I continued to stay away from meat and started buying smoked salmon. It was good, but then a couple of times, I came across the product that smelled and tasted bad. I changed my diet again.
Now I buy low-sodium trout and enjoy it in salads.
When I cook something new, I usually make it with ingredients I've already used in other dishes. It helps me predict, at least roughly, how it’s going to turn out. To take on [I don’t understand what you mean by this] most of the world’s (most) brilliant chefs, one has to improvise as well; It's not enough to simply follow their recipes.