Before you can experiment with a dish, you must first master it. That might sound kind of cheesy (no pun intended), but it really does apply to cooking — and most other things in life. After you master a couple of classic dishes, you'll be able to vary of the recipe and experiment with different seasonings, ratios, and ingredients, which is something that can get pretty pricey if you're constantly out buying different ingredients.
That's why it's much better to focus on a few classic dishes. And those dishes could be just about anything, from dishes from your childhood to dishes from a completely unfamiliar cuisine.