Not Quite Julia

I have always had a deep desire to be a good cook, but unlike Julia Child, I have never had access to cooking lessons in Paris. When I was first married, I took a bread baking class, and my family has reaped the benefits of that class tenfold. But life got in the way of things as it so often does, and that was the only cooking class I have ever attended. My mother used to say that anyone with a cookbook and can read should be able to cook, and while to a certain extent that is true, I have always wanted to know more. Why do certain ingredients when combined with others have such magical affects on dishes? What herbs go with what meats? I want to go beyond following a recipe and be able to create my own. I have created a few dishes that have had great success, but oftentimes in the process of cooking, I didn't have time to jot down what I was doing and the recipe can never be recreated again. So where are the answers to my questions? Most likely I will find them at my fingertips, if I will only take the time to research them. So begins my own adventure.