During my career I've met many chef's that are what I call recipe chefs! Now I'm not one to condemn the recipe for on the opposite side the throw it together guys are terrible. As chef's our one main guide is consistency.
Now recipes give us this but for the recipe chef it becomes dogmatic. Whilst many times this will be fine, sometimes it just won't. For there are many many sources of recipes and some are just terrible.
Here is the problem recipe chef's generally struggle to think outside the box or think things through. It becomes this recipe doesn't work that recipe does. The thing is as chef's we work with an unpredictable product, nature's bounty is as varied as life its self. You'll get strawberries who's sweetness has been robbed by their lack of sun. Flour whose protein/gluten/water content that vary wildly etc..
Now to be honest in pastry/desserts/bakery recipes are king for they are scientific formulas. Yet the chef must still live with a little reaction for maybe the product will dictate it. The chef that looks at recipe and comprehends the ingredients and method will not only be able to modify it but fix the broken ones. A little example a dark and white chocolate mousse will have practically the same method and list of ingredients. The chef that comprehends will instinctively know white chocolate has a higher soft fat content. The clever ones may see the fix straight away, the intelligent ones may experiment till it works, the resourceful ones will hunt a recipe down, the stupid ones will replace the dark chocolate with white.
Else where for many sections in the kitchen recipes are less strict. The reactionist can work with the product. He can tweak add a little more of this a little less of that. Maybe even replace one ingredient for another. As mentioned earlier I'm not condemning the recipe but never forget recipes are "guidelines" react to the ingredients comprehend them and the method then cooking will become a lot more natural!
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