Normally, I’d say following directions is a good thing. But without context, sometimes following directions, especially in a recipe, can be as much of a problem as not following them.
Dad tells the story about the first time he cooked ducks. It was in the early 1930s, and his mother was in Tennessee visiting her family. After milking his cows and completing his chores, he rode his horse several miles out of town and shot a couple of ducks. He wanted to surprise his dad by fixing them for dinner.
At only six or seven, he had no experience with cooking, but that didn’t stop him. He found a recipe for duck in one of his mother’s cookbooks.
Part of the directions were to: “Baste with a ½ cup of butter every 15 minutes.” (You see where this is going, right?)
Yes, he followed the recipe’s instructions to the letter—probably the first and last time he ever did this—and added a new ½ cup of butter every 15 minutes.
By the time the ducks were done, and he served the meal, they were swimming in butter. In this case, he was lucky. Following the recipe exactly as written hadn’t hurt. In fact, his dad pronounced it the best duck he’d ever eaten.
Still, when you do something for the first time, it’s not only a good idea to read and follow the directions, but maybe ask someone for help. Make sure you really understand those directions.