I have a friend who is the Mozart of food. She has “perfect taste” analogous to “perfect pitch.” I’ve seen her come into my kitchen and fix a delicious meal with nothing but crackers, a few bottles of sauce on the shelf and some ancient veggies in the fridge. I think she has whatever it takes to be a really good cook - a fundamental and thorough understanding of what flavors and textures work well together, plus a basic understanding of cooking itself.
One time, we were at Denny’s (a chain of mediocre greasy-spoon restaurants, for those outside of the US), and I had some sort of brownie with hot fudge dessert. She tasted it and decided it needed something. After a moment’s thought, she reached over and squeezed some yellow mustard on it. I was horrified, but after trying it I was amazed - the taste combination was perfect - the mustard added just enough sour to cut the sweetness of the fudge, and the slight amount of spiciness added a little interest.