Afraid Fuck-ups are good. So the lambchops in a mint chocolate sauce ended up tasting putrid. Salt brings out the flavor in whatever you're cooking. So if you load your stew with curry or garlic but skip the salt, your dish could be bland. But if that kind of prep gives you a rash, skip it and adapt your recipe.
Chicken broth is stock, wine works almost everywhere.
Don't make cooking a chore. Make it fun. My cooking style makes a lot of people nervous. I think not. If I thought I had to follow the directions, I'd never put on an apron.