Im a cook who learned by watching Mom or other family members and I wasnt taught recipes and to follow them to the letter....if we didnt have a particular spice or something we left it out or tried something else..
So if I find a recipe here that may have a lot of hot peppers...I leave them out because Im not chili-head...
I dont stick to bbq temps like "Gotta Keep it under 250"...mostly because my smoker temps are all over the place and if Im holding temps that low something is wrong
........and Im impatient
About the only thing I keep track of is safety issues...like internal food temps to keep from getting sick.