Creating flavors starts with knowing your ingredients. In Filipino cooking, a lot (and I mean a lot) of recipes start with the essentials like sautéed garlic and onions. It is like the sofrito (onion, garlic, and tomato) of Spanish cooking or mirepoix (carrots, onion, and celery) in French cuisine. It is the most basic of flavor profiles. It is the starting point where dishes get their flavor. 

The base flavor is like the drums and bass guitar of a band. It is where music is supported so instruments like the guitar and vocals can carry the melody. 

Now garlic and onions are not the only basis for flavor. Other favorite spices are star anise, cloves, and ginger. These are just the basics to build dishes, and traditional Filipino recipes start off this way from stir-fries to stews. 

These aromatics are then seasoned with salt and pepper to bring out its real flavor.  I wish the internet could do aromas online because this combination is divine. 

As a child, my mom and grandma would always start off a recipe with the same garlic and onions. I would still ask, why do you use the same ingredients for all of these dishes? The answer quickly comes once the garlic is browned, and the onions are sizzling away in coconut oil. Alas! The glorious scent of onions and garlic. In my mind, there is nothing wrong with this at all.