Whining about whining

This is a really delicious salad, and it goes well with dals and other hearty, spicy foods.

I would probably never have tried it if I hadn't had (a) a surplus of really good, fresh cucumbers, and (b) a cup of leftover fresh pineapple chunks from making a pineapple pie. I needed something to use those things up ASAP, and this was perfect! And of course I had fresh jalapeños available, too.

What I'm about to say doesn't necessarily reflect the comments on this particular recipe, but I've been meaning to say this for a while, so here goes. I'm always amused (and, okay, a little annoyed) when people leave comments on Epicurious that say things like "I followed the recipe exactly, except I changed almost every ingredient and cut corners on the cooking methods, and then I was shocked to find that it sucked." Creativity is great and should be encouraged, but if you make alterations, you're NOT ALLOWED TO WHINE.

No one is immune from these tendencies, of course. One of my cookbooks bears a badge of shame--a page describing a Spanish rice recipe where, many years ago, I scribbled "Left out the olives and cilantro. This was bland and needed something!"