aw I thought you were going to tell me culinary trade secrets, I know that stuff already

a specific problem I've been having is that with heavily spiced stuff I make, like japanese curry, I can take a bunch of different routes with a similar result that doesn't blow me away, even if I follow the recommendations from people who make really good curry. I can't taste the roux and know if it's going to be a hit because how the roux tastes and how the end product tastes are totally different
I've tried:
blue mountain curry powder, garam masala, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, ginger powder
blue mountain curry powder, garam masala, cayenne pepper, garlic powder apples, ginger powder
blue mountain curry powder, garam masala, jalepenos, scotch bonnet peppers, ginger and minced garlic made into a paste, chinese allspice, dry mustard, cloves, blue mountain coffee and 90% chocolate
the last one turned out MARGINALLY different, and I know its a ratio problem, but I'm so bad at math, I really can't figure it out

the only time it came out different was last night, because it was curry udon instead of a giant pot of curry, so I could add a bunch of crazy stuff without without worrying about the end result
I also have issues with plating and appearance