Good points.
If it's something I've never cooked, like the first time I cooked rutabagas or some obscure meat, I'll look at recipes to get some ideas but that's only for how long to cook or some herbs that go well. I usually just go to the fridge/pantry and start pulling things out and putting a meal together.
There's a Latin/Asian market fairly close called Seafood City Supermarket. They have hundreds of fish that I've never heard of. I plan on bringing a notebook with me next time to write down names, most are not in English. But I want to take advantage of this bounty and it's mostly inexpensive. Then I'll do some research to figure out what I want to buy.
http://www.stlmag.com/dining/A-Long-Strange-Trip-Around-Seafood-City/