Writing this column has given us wonderful satisfaction. For the past eight months we’ve been scoping out good eats in top-notch seafood restaurants, swanky wine bars, and even hole in the wall late night dives. These dining experiences have inspired homey simple fare, impressive evening canapés, romantic dinners for two, and even a morning cure for the night that went on too long.

Hunting for inspirations, however, has been only half the fun. The real enjoyment comes from comments letting us know that we’ve instilled inspiration in you. It’s delightful to hear that some of you have branched out and tried a recipe that was spawned from establishments inside our own Beltway. It’s even more rewarding when we hear that things went well, and your guests were impressed with your DCist-inspired culinary aspirations.

It must be common to measure one’s satisfaction with their own cooking in the compliments received from your guests. The oohs and aahs you get when a dish that’s been thoughtfully plated arrives at the table. The delightful sigh you hear after someone fills his or her nostrils with a wonderful smell that you yourself created. The greatest reward of all however, is your very own personal gratification. It’s something you can’t share with any of your guests. Occasionally you set out to create something new and after a trip or two to the local groceries and labor in the kitchen over a hot skillet you hit the nail square on the head. “This is it. “This is exactly what I intended to create. This is what I set out to do, and this tastes perfect to me.” Suddenly the compliments, or lack thereof from your guests are ancillary, and your private success becomes the greatest compensation for your sweat.

We’re sorry this Wednesday has failed to bring you a new recipe to experiment with this week, but assure you that there are many more to come. Restaurant Week is in full swing and inspiration is everywhere. Rest assured we are scouring the city looking for the very best creations to bring home to your friends, both from your suggestions and our own culinary sleuthing. You could go back through our archives and find something you haven’t tried already, but those adventurous enough to head out on their own will reap the greatest reward. Enjoy Restaurant Week, enjoy your own food creations, enjoy your friends, and tune in next Wednesday for your next Eating In. We’ll be doing the same.