Cooking is a process of iteration.
You combine the ingredients and immediately get feedback. It’s too dry, too wet, too yellow, too lumpy. You adjust.
You give it a taste and get more feedback. Too salty, too sweet. You adjust again.
Of course, it’s possible you don’t take any of those moments to check for feedback. If you don’t taste while you’re cooking, you’re missing chances to improve and correct your course.
Finally, after many tastes and micro-adjustments, you get your final product. The last opportunity for feedback. And this time, you can open it up to friends and family.
You take in all the information, enjoy the creation, and file away the insight for the next time you’re going to make the dish. Another day, another iteration.