I'm happy if one of the moderators has moved the thread I started (this one) from the relative back waters of the eBooks category to the more visible 'Lets Talk Curry'. I know it's a potentially controversial topic, which is why I chose the lower profile route! But I consider it's important to be like an 'official opposition' if there are valid counter-arguments and other comments/warnings which may need to be made. Nobody would be happier than me if any of these eBooks are the real deal, i.e. have recipes which most people could follow, with sensible quantities, and which produce curries which really are just like from a BIR. But I think we're already further forward as a group, than most people publishing these eBooks.
I share Woks Up's and other members' concerns. I wouldn't be so concerned about photos (which you can't smell or taste!) if the end result is genuine.
There are 101 reasons why all this looks so suspicious to me. For a start, most BIRs (and McDonalds) are consistent with their dishes not just from year to year but often from decade to decade. I doubt if any BIR's have an R&D type department who develop lots of different base sauces and other recipes. Also, you have to consider motivation here. Money is a good one, although it surely won't be easy to make a lot, unless you are Pat Chapman! Stew has done a first class job setting up this forum and I'm sure it took a fair amount of work. But he's not an incessant poster or working 24-7 developing new recipes, whether these are genuine work from kitchen tests, or just pulled out of thin air, and written down to look good. There's a phenomenal amount of effort going on there from between 1 and perhaps 3 people (at a guess), depending on how sceptical you are.
As I've implied before, all that matters is results. If any of the recipes in that eBook are a great breakthrough in taste terms, I'm ready to eat many of my words.
Regards
George