Rant. If you read a recipe online, what should you do?

[snigger]

(a) read the recipe, do the recipe, reflect on the success of the recipe and adjust accordingly.
(b) read the recipe, order takeout.
(c) read the recipe, pretend to make the recipe, go online and in the comments below the recipe, say

"This was FAB - except I added hand-milked yak cheese and a drizzle of truffle oil, and replaced the puff pastry with phyllo, and instead of bacon I used hand-reared North Appalachian Parma-style ham shavings....."

I am in high dudgeon over this. HIGH dudgeon. I reiterate - high dudgeon with a truffle-oil glaze.

Can't I escape the overachievers, even on the Martha Stewart website??

Sigh.

Apparently, high dudgeon here goes down just like at home....blissful ignorance.....

I'm with you snigger!

Also can't abide the thrifty/foraging/cheap cooks who end up using so many additional ingredients the recipe is no longer free/cheap.

Hugh fernley-whittingstall is the worst for this-think 'free' hedgerow nettles, with just some Parma ham, truffles, mozzarella and pancetta added...

It's no longer free you muppet!

Reminds me of a story at school, we called it nail soup/stone soup.

A, of course.

Ideally you first get the recipe passed through a filter like this blog (just had a baby so most recent few entries are weirdly about shopping), and Esther (a quite competent cook) will do the adjusting for you and tell you which bits you don't need to bother with.