When someone mentions the Italian cuisine, immediately all we think is about their delicious pizzas and pastas. Yes, Italian pizza is well known all over the world, but Italian cuisine is not just all about pizzas. The main reason for the popularity of Italian food is their taste, and is delicious. The secret lies in the quality and the freshness of the ingredients that they use in making this marvelous food.

Lets look little bit in the history of Italian kitchen. The Italians believe that their nourishing and tasty food was borrowed from the Greeks. The regular meals consists food prepared with chickpeas, dry figs, lupines, salted and dry fish, pork, pickled olives. On special occasions such as weddings or festivals different delicacies were prepared. A few dishes from the Italian cuisine belongs also to Magna Graecia and this include honey sauces, sweet meats made from almonds and walnuts, soups and meats made in vinegar.

Its interesting that sumptuous feasts were associated with ancient Roman nobles.

In many countries is common to eat a good salad as entrance, but not in Italy, they eat the salad as a side plate for the second dish. We can find tourist restaurants in main cities that propose rich salads for the tourists, but dont expect an Italian to ask for one, because theyll never do it.

A traditional Italian meal will consist of the following courses:

Anti Pasto: this consists of hot and cold appetizers.

Primo: this has dishes like pasta, risotto or even soup. This is the first course.

Secondo: this consist the main dish of fish or meat.

Contorno: this is the side dish of salad or vegetables. A traditional Italian menu will feature salad after the main course.

Dolce: this is the desert course.

Caffee: here you will be served a cup of espresso.

Liqueurs: this course is also referred to as the Coffee Killer where you will be served grappa or amaro.

If you want to learn how to cook this tasty Italian food you could start with playing the cooking games which offers you by playing and having fun also great tips about cooking, serving and decorating the food. So have fun and learn some great and delicious recipes at the same time. Enjoy!

Picture this…. its drizzling outside and you’re enjoying a grilled steak. Doesn’t it sound too perfect and interesting? If you wish to enjoy such a moment, it is crucial that steak that you are eating better taste lush. Not every grilled steak may satiate your taste buds. For the absolute flavor, it’s crucial to grill the steak right. It’s a popular concept that grilling a steak in perfect manner is a difficult job. Nevertheless, this is not the case at all if you grill it in accordance to the tips given below.

The first and foremost thing that you need to keep in mind for grilling steak in the right way is to cut meat in a suitable manner. Though you can cut meat in any shape, but there are a handful of cuts that are more convenient for barbecuing than others. The cut of meat that best serves the purpose is the grill strip steaks. These steaks are famous for having a tasty flavor owing to just the perfect percentage of meat and fat that they consist of. In case you relish meat cuts with greater fat percentage, make it a point that you go in for a treadmill session, the next day to dispose off the extra calories thus put on.

Another thing that you must keep in mind to make the finest grilled steak is to season your steak early. Typically, people add salt to the steak just before they’re about to grill it. Nevertheless, this does not give the salt sufficient time to dissolve in the steak. In addition, the entire salt gets transferred to the grill, leaving your steak tasteless. So, it is significant that you season your steaks a minimum of 15 mins before you put them in the grill. Instead of using normal salt, you could try using sea salt or special Hawaiian salts. However, ensure that you do not add too much of salt, else you’ll have to deal with high blood pressure.

Watch out for touching the steak again and again. This could mar the flavor of steak to a great extent. It is not uncommon to see chefs touching steak on regular intervals to see whether it is cooked perfectly or not. Nevertheless, instead of touching it, just check the thickness of steak and you can get a fair idea about its cooking time.

Get rid of gas grills. Though these grills offer ease of usage, they might not offer the delicious taste that you might be looking for in your steak. In fact cooking steaks in gas grill could add a gas flavor to the meat. If you want steaks to have the perfect flavor, it appears sensible to grill the same using hardwood charcoal. Adding wood chips is also a brilliant idea, if planning to smoke your meat. Though this will make meat more palatable, it may be a time consuming process too.

So, wait no more. Follow the given ideas and you are all geared up to prepare tasty yet low calorie grilled steak very quickly.

Every night when you go home, you have to make a decision about what to have for dinner. For the most part, we would like to eat nutritious food, but many of us didnt grow up learning how to cook healthy meals. If youre watching your health, eating out is not the best option, so most people look in their cookbooks for recipes. This isnt always the best solution, because recipes lie. But, if you know the right way, its very easy to cook nutritious food every night of the week.

This is the process that many people go through:

1.You come home from work, and have to start planning dinner.

2.Youve already cooked the 5 things you know how to cook this week.

3.You need more ideas,

4.You look through the pantry, consider calling for pizza

Its not only exhausting, but you have to re-educate yourself every single night. Its not going to get you the results you want or deserve for yourself and your family. If youre looking to cook more nutritious food at home, save time and have endless cooking ideas, youre in the right place.

There are 5 simple steps to cooking with fresh ingredients.

Step 1: Get Fresh Ingredients

The first step for using fresh, seasonal ingredients is to actually GET some.

This could be the most difficult step for many of you that are used to the huge mega-mart grocery store.

There are alternatives. My eyes were opened to more alternatives during my trip to Paris, France. The food culture in Paris is so much different from where I live in the US. There were very few corporate chain restaurants there.

Many of the restaurants were small, 10 table places where there were three people on staff, the chef, the maitre d and the dish washer. They had their service each night and went home. Each time I asked why their food tasted so good, they all had the same answer. And, not a single person bragged about their recipes.

Instead, I was told that I needed fresh, simple ingredients. I discovered that I needed to examine where my food is coming from. This doesnt mean simply the store where you shop, but what is the country of origin for your food. Think about how you feel about your money going to another country when there are farmers in your community that need your help. Now think about how long ago that vegetable was harvested in the far away country, and what happened to it during its travels.

It might be inconvenient to drive past dozens of mega-marts to find a farmers market. But you may find that theres a local produce roadside stand near you that youve avoided. In my case, I signed up for The Produce Box which delivers fresh community supported agriculture to my doorstep. Fresh is important because fruits and vegetables degrade as soon as theyre picked.

Nutrients are lost

They become visually unappealing

Harder to cook successfully

Loss of flavor!

Step 2: Select the freshest ingredients when you shop

Be aware of what youre choosing, even if you shop at the local produce stand or farmers market. Some items may still be fresher than others and the most nutritious, healthy food is the freshest. You have to be even more aware if you shop at the local mega grocery.

In understanding how to cook healthy, you need to be able to understand the difference between fresh food and food that has been ripened artificially or is not ripe at all. Do you know how to tell a fresh orange or grapefruit? Did you know that color is NOT an indicator of freshness in peaches?

Step 3: Storing Fresh Ingredients

For maximum shelf life, nutritional preservation and budget savings, there are three issues in storing fresh ingredients:

1.Moisture

2.Air circulation

3.Temperature

Not everything can be thrown in to the drawer in the refrigerator and preserve their freshness. In fact, some things will suffocate in a plastic bag. Other produce will need to be wrapped tightly to retain moisture. Other items will need to be kept cold, while others will degrade under the cold.

Step 4: Master a few basic cooking techniques

At the very least, master the following techniques:

1.Understanding the transfer of heat

2.Saute method

3.Know how to make sassy sauces

But there are so many more. All of the basic methods in cooking are covered in my live cooking classes. Giving you the tools to understand these basic methods is what makes my approach to teaching cooking so unique and why people rave about my Web Cooking Classes. Web Cooking Classes empowers you with a thorough understanding of basic methods which allows you to cook and create without a reliance on recipes. Pure freedom!

Step 5: Finishing the Process with Fresh Herbs

This is the number one question I get during my live cooking classes:

Q: Which herbs to use and how much to use?

A: Use the ones you like.

Seriously! Use your nose to see what it reminds you of, use the ones that you like and use as much as you like.

You want to know my number one herb secret? Herbs go last! Fresh herbs should not be cooked. In fact, just the heat of the finished dish is enough to release the aromas of fresh herbs.

These are the secrets that chefs know about how to cook healthy which are so easy to incorporate into your every day cooking. You can cook nutritious food that you want to eat for your health and for how wonderful it tastes.

There are a myriad of career paths to consider if you are interested in working in the restaurant field. Such careers include: Chef, Pastry Chef, Baker, Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef and many, many more! If you are looking for fast paced, challenging and extremely rewarding employment, look no further!

Working as a professional Chef puts you in complete control of your career direction! You may be supervising over a team of other chefs and cooks or working solitarily as a personal chef for a private citizen. Either way, it is vital to be upbeat and determined if you choose to become a chef. Industry recruits need to become knowledgeable about the business, and should start networking and building associates as early on as they can. With long-term growth anticipated, the rewards and prospects for new chefs will definitely continue. Commercial cookery requires growing numbers of dedicated and passionate individuals to make the most of the reputation that has been attained in modern decades.

There are two paths that can lead you to becoming a chef, one is to become an apprentice. Apprenticeships are the conventional pathway, 72% of employers favor apprentice instruction. Apprentices are employed and salaried; they learn their skills by performing their work under supervision, and they receive time off for additional education.

Institutional training is the alternate way to become a chef. 69% of employers claim that institutionally trained chefs can be as just as high-quality as apprentices. This path involves learning the skills through a learning curriculum, which includes practical education at a TAFE or other education establishment.

Both of these exciting pathways will enable you to obtain AQF Qualification – ‘Certificate III in Hospitality (Commercial Cookery)’ it’s your decision on which path to choose.

Commercial restaurant work is becoming more refined & proficient these days. Chefs are always learning new things about the food they prepare for their customers and clients, and they know the importance of good training. Chefs need to have innovative cooking skills when it comes to selecting, preparing and displaying their cuisine. Chefs also need to posses good communication skills, organization skills, business skills, problem solving skills, and economic skills. The chef’s job presents real-world challenges. They have to be swift and proficient, and know how to multi-task, since they often have many tasks going on at once. The job requires potency, good cleanliness ethics, and many, many hours of hard work.

Chefs can qualify for many types of employment – from being an exclusive chef in a small bistro to working in high class, five-star restaurants with 50 more workers in the kitchen. Chefs can specialize in singular categories of fare, like Asian cuisine. The liveliness and energy of the restaurant industry, combined with patrons desiring innovative dining choices, make a chef’s job continuously appealing.

Not into the idea of being a chef and having to make all types of dishes? Why not become a pastry chef and dedicate your career to making delicious desserts? If you plan on becoming a Pastry Chef, you will require appropriate training. An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Baking and Pastry Arts will prepare you for this amazing career and will instruct you on everything you need to know to begin in a thriving vocation in this discipline. Courses that lead to obtaining these credentials are accessible by attending specialized pastry schools that are located all around the nation.

As an aspirant pastry chef, you can pick from several different degree curriculums, but a specialized baking and pastry arts degree would be the most appropriate for your potential occupation. a lot of pastry schools offer 2 or 4 year programs intended to train the new pastry chef on everything he or she requires to get started on their pasty chef career as soon after graduation as possible.

The associate’s degree program is for approximately two years and is meant to get the apprentice pastry chef ready for his or her very first job.

The bachelor’s lasts approximately for 3-4 years. It involves the identical subject matter as the associate’s degree but also contain others that are meant to ready the undergraduate pastry chef for a management role in their upcoming career. These extra courses include: management theory, marketing, computing, and finance. The precise details of the curriculum differ among different pastry schools.

As for either type of degree you pursue, you should be able to locate a extensive variety of pastry schools around the nation to pick from.

There are thirteen important criterions that can facilitate your assessment of the value of different institutions and settle on which college curriculum is appropriate for you:

1. Choose an institution that will present you with the best potential likelihood for success.

2. Decide on schools with the highest commencement and employment rates.

3. Search for prospects for long-term profession achievements along with appealing wages.

4. Be on the lookout for well established, thriving alumni associations that offer mentoring and assistance for vocation development.

5. Look for nationally renowned, highly regarded colleges that will be able to supply you with contact to nationwide and international job openings. Regional institutions do not present these benefits.

6. Select a college that places high importance on direct, in-kitchen education and real workplace experiences.

7. Look for a large number of teaching kitchens and in-kitchen teaching hours.

8. Seek out colleges that posses different kinds of first-class eating establishments on-campus for professional instruction.

9. Choose programs that offer their students internships at popular restaurants, hotels, and resorts for real-world experience and industry networking.

10. Try to select a school that has a large teaching staff comprised of experienced, varied, and accomplished chefs:

11. Make sure you find out how many of the teaching staff are Master Chefs or Master Bakers.

12. Be sure you know if the faculty includes Certified Hospitality Educators (C.H.E.s) a certification that indicates good teachers.

13. Search out diverse faculty that comes from a variety of cultures, countries and culinary experiences. This will definitely enrich your education and give you a more well rounded experience.

Got a passion for cooking? Love the kitchen? Well, why don’t you consider joining in some of the most well-known recipe message boards online and engage in a kitchen talk? That sounds great, right? For mothers, women, chefs, teens, and people of all ages and gender out there, if you share the same interest in cooking and would like to know great recipes or exchange your recipe secrets to other people in the world, I have here below some of the great sites that are worth visiting.

These sites actually have their own recipe message boards where you can post recipes or ask questions or recommendations, cooking tips and everything related to cooking from the other experts. These recipe message boards sites are no doubt great places for you to meet people with the same passion for cooking and make friends with them.

Let’s take a look at these recipe message boards. Cooking for Engineers was established in June 2004 as a place for people to store and share recipes that they love to use as well as some kitchen notes. Here you can absolutely find a number of recipes made by the owner of this site himself, as well as from the other members of the group. For more details go to www.cheese-cake-recipes.com If you also got one recipe to share, then you can post it at the recipe message boards maintained by this site. Aside from recipes, you will learn about cooking tips, experiments, kitchen tools, equipment and gadgets and a lot more.

The recipe message boards in this site even provide a number of great cooking articles for the members to read. If you are looking for a low fat dinner ideas or you wish to know how to make the best brownies, then the recipe forums of this site are no doubt the great place to start. The currently designed their Recipe Exchange section where you can find, access and share idea for making delectable meals and treats with the other good housekeeping readers. At their recipe message board, you are free to start a new discussion or create a new poll.

Another great site to visit if you want to find one of the well-maintained recipe message boards. Perhaps what’s great about this site is that they not only provide recipe bulletin boards for those who are looking for great recipes, but some other resources, such as recipe articles and archives, a huge recipe collection, and some other health related recipe sites. Let’s take a look at these recipe message boards. Cooking for Engineers was established in June 2004 as a place for people to store and share recipes that they love to use as well as some kitchen notes. For more details go to www.atkins-diets-recipes.com

Here you can absolutely find a number of recipes made by the owner of this site himself, as well as from the other members of the group There are even some mastercook recipes for chefs.

With all the great information included in this site, it’s no wonder that thousands of people from around the world have already visited this site and participated on their recipe message boards. There are sites out there on the web that provide recipe message boards for the readers. What I have mentioned above are just a few of them, but I am sure that they are good enough for you to get started.

Do you really need a blender, a mixer, a chopper, and a grater? Not anymore. A food processor can handle all of these tasks easily, and more. Since it does the work of a lot of other appliances, you can just buy a food processor and save money on all those other appliances in the process.

Hands free dough mixing. Everyone loves to bake homemade cookies and bread, but not everyone loves to get their hands dirty mixing and kneading by hand. A food processor offers a simple and effective hands free solution for all your favorite doughs.

Juice it up. With a food processor, you can quickly combine fresh fruits with yogurt, ice, and even nutritional supplements to make delicious juices and smoothies. These are great for breakfast or on the go. Step up your game and make fanciful cocktails for entertaining with friends.

Soup never tasted so good. You can chop onions, potatoes and greens together and make healthy, delicious tasting soups all year round. You can even chop up carrots and other vegetables your kids might normally turn their noses up to. They will be invisible in the soup, so your healthy veggie secret is safe, and the soup is on.

If you know someone who loves to spend time in the kitchen, a food processor makes a great gift. People who cook the old fashioned way by hand chopping their food will appreciate it’s ability to save time and chop for them. It is also nice for newlyweds or new parents who may want to puree foods for their baby.

Your kitchen needs to be both beautiful and useful. You need to think of the different things you need to do in the kitchen, when you put together your dream kitchen. Consider function, space and affordability. For instance, you have a lot of options in your choice of fridge.

Different refrigerators have different layouts. The side-by-side, with two doors adjacent, has become a standard. French door fridges have their freezer on the bottom. Some fridges come with a stainless steel finish to make them blend in with the other appliances. You can really go nuts with options.

Some people want their kitchens very symmetrical and precise. If you are one of them, you can get a refrigerator that is ‘counter depth.’ Pretty much whatever your needs are, you’ll be able to find the right fridge for you.

The hardest part is figuring out the features you want. Then you just pick a brand that fits you budget. Great options are available from GE, Maytag, Sub Zero, HotPoint, Haier, Bosch, Samsung, LG, and Frigidaire.

Choosing from between these various brands is pretty tricky. Reviews can help; you can always go see who has the best ratings. It’s easiest though if you choose the aspects that are most important to you, like fewest repairs, and concentrate on these.

That’s only one aspect of a functioning kitchen, though. Remember, you still have to prepare food. If you want efficiency and adaptability, consider a toaster oven. These come in many styles including convection, microwave and mountable.

If you are sick and tired of rubbery microwaved bread, or of waiting thrity minutes for your oven to warm up just to bake a frozen pizza, this is a great choice for you. Toaster ovens heat up very quickly, and produce lovely crispy breads and crusts. There are really nice models made by Delonghi, Oster, KitchenAid, Panasonic, and Black & Decker. Chances are excellent you’ll be able to find a model to meet your budget.

If you plan your new dream kitchen right, you’ll want to spend time in there even when you aren’t cooking. Find the right balance of aesthetics, functionality, and affordability and let your dreams guide you.

In all parties, get together, celebration we cannot miss to have a cake. Cakes can make your simple party into memorable one. In a birthday celebration it is very unusual to celebrate your birthday without blowing a candle on top of the cake. Moreover, cakes can be the last gift that you can think if you can think of any. Also cake is a work of art and it can symbolize how much you love the person. It is a special gift and baking your own cake makes it more special.

Cakes are love by many. People are so amazed by the stunning designs of a cake; its flavor, decorations and structure makes people to appreciate it more. . It comes in different flavors like, White Chocolate Cheesecake, Cookies and Cream, Toblerone Cheesecake, Chocolate, Vanilla, Blueberry, Coffee and a lot more. You can look and choose the cake that you want at Buttercream Bakery http://www.buttercream.com.au/cakes.html.

Most people enjoyed looking cakes at the bake shop. Do you want to stare at it all the time or do you wish you can also create a cake like the pros? If you are eager to learn, there is no reason why you cannot turn out professional-quality cakes from your own kitchen. First, it is vital to gather all the things that you need for baking to save time. Utensils are a must to bake delicious cake, these are: glass bowls, mixer, measuring cups, sifter, quality bake ware-shiny (non-coated) aluminum is best, measuring spoons and cooling racks. Be familiar with the recipe and make certain that you have all the ingredients on hand. These ingredients includes: cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, vanilla, spices like cinnamon nutmeg and all spice. Substitutions of ingredients should never be used if you want success. Start with a clean, dry work area. Make sure you wash your hands before you begin and make sure your utensils are in order.

Now that you have your recipe and ingredients, you are ready to begin mixing. Always follow the order of ingredients given in the recipe. Cream the butter and sugar; mix them together until fluffy consistency is reached. Vanilla may also be added if it is included in the recipe. Add the eggs and mix it. Cream ingredients including the egg should be mix separately from the flour and other dry ingredients like: baking powder, baking soda and salt. Multiple sift often ensures a tender texture to the cake. When the dry ingredients are well sifted, they can be added to the cream mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. To avoid a cake that tastes dry or crumbles, use the exact quantity of fat called for in the recipe. Each addition should be blended into the batter and then beaten until smooth. Finished batter should have a consistency similar to that of pudding, neither too thick nor too thin.

Once the mixing is done, the pans should be prepared for baking. For best results, grease should be used to coat the pans. Pan spray may be used, but it is not advisable for best results. Verify that the oven is at the correct temperature before placing cakes inside. Set a timer with the suggested baking time, usually it is set for 350F for 25 “” 30 minutes but do check the cake occasionally. A cake is done when a cake tester or toothpick is inserted and come out clean. Place cake on cooling rack or racks to cool. Make certain that the cake is entirely cool before attempting to remove it from the pan.

Once cool, you can now apply frosting and other design to your cake. Suit the design to the event. There are many different varieties of cakes as there are already mix, but here are some simple recipes to start with. With these basic guidelines, you can now bake a cake with excellent results. Happy baking!

With so many choices available on the market today it could be quite difficult should you be a consumer to know exactly what cookware to purchase. One excellent bit of guidance that was given to me once was to purchase a excellent set of stainless steel cookware the reason I was told is because there advantages to making sure that you’ve got a proper set this really is right down to value for money, durability and health benefits.

One brilliant function of these is that they’ll last a lifetime and it dose not call for any kind of special care. They can’t corrode, they can’t rust and one more awesome feature is they don’t discolor. They will maintained their looks even if you put them in your dish washer or if you should use metal wool to clean them properly.

If you’re starting to browse around for these you will learn that there are a number of different grades now offered these tend to be 18/, 18/8 and 18/10 with 18/10 possibly the most well-liked and with that really the more expensive but when some thing will probably last a life time you need to think about is it worth a purchase in the more pricey set.

I always recommend people today to look around while looking for a certain item and this is also true if you are looking for any type of cookware set you will come across several main companies when looking at these yet it can be incredible simply by shopping around and a number of the main online shopping retailers you could sometimes discover deals.

My advice is to check out 18/10 stainless steel cookware as it offers all that you will require. It really is long lasting so you should have no problem with this lasting forever. It’s also capable of cook everything evenly since the bottom of the cookware is made from a mixture of materials which includes aluminium. This makes sure that you get an even heat helping lower hotspots, that if you’re a cook is one thing you will want to prevent.

There are also benefits due to the lack of corrosion. Since it’s a pourless material there’s nowhere for any types of bacteria to harvest. This can make it a great material for cooking.

As I have stated by now it is important that you check out the attributes of any cookware set before purchasing. If possible I can choose one with a grade of 18/10 because this can be a best quality that’s available. It’s also important to note that it have to have a bonded aluminium or copper bottom this guarantees that you receive good heat conductivity and your food cooks probably.

You are going to furthermore want to look at pricing this particular type really does usually tend to be somewhat more expensive. But, it is something which lasts forever so is for many people a one time investment.

It’s always advisable to ensure you rinse out following use and it could be cleaned out in a basic sink or dish washer. Although, you might find this a little bit expensive yet you must remember to consider all the advantages to possessing this type of cookware.

Many Azeroth citizens are known to live healthy and happy lives without ever having to cook for themselves or catch fish for dinner. But this fishing cooking guide will show you how you can improve your entire experience and career in Warcraft by picking up two different secondary professions.

{Why Fish}?

Although Fishing is not necessarily a must-pick-up profession, there are a lot of benefits to having this skill up your sleeves.

{Here are a few}:

You are not limited as to the number of secondary professions you can learn, so why not learn one more?

It is a nice hobby. Fishing is, in itself, an in-game game that can help you get away from the busy, bloody and gory World of Warcraft. It is a breather of sorts which you could take while stuck in between adventures or quests.

It is a good way to catch your own meal or your pet’s meal as well as to get some rare items. Although not appetizing, WoW fish can nevertheless give you buffs and bonuses. Soloing players as well as players that dont have the ability to heal can rely on this profession for replenishments.

Have problem with gold go fish. What’s good about using this profession for gold is that you are not pressured to earn large sums of gold since you would enjoy the process of getting some.

For players who have pets, fishing is an effective method of earning some free supplies.

{Why Cook}?

While cooked food can be bought from vendors, those that were made from scratch often provide more valuable buffs.

Aside from the buffs you get, cooking is also a good way to make fun of yourself and others in the game. You see, a few recipes are designed to turn you into a ninja, a pirate, a fire-breathing character among others. Now how cool is that?

All in all, Cooking and Fishing are professions that are not as essential as other professions but are nevertheless very valuable. Not only do they provide replenishment and complement each other well, they can also serve as good sources of earning extra gold and rare items. If you’re lucky, you also get to have extra bragging rights for your rare finds.

{Getting Started With Fishing and Cooking}

As with all other professions, be it primary or secondary profession, you can start learning how to fish and cook by locating a trainer that will teach youre the professions. These are individual professions which you will pick up from different trainers in any major cities in Azeroth. Usually, Fishing trainers can be found near bodies of water and Cooking trainers are likely situated in areas where there is a cooking pot or fire. Pay the necessary fee and begin as an Apprentice.

{Gaining Skill}

The quality of recipe and fish you catch depend almost exclusively on your skill level. Starters begin with cooking or fishing skill 1 which increases as you progress through the game. The number of catches largely determine how many skill points you get for fishing and the quality of the recipes allow you to skill up in Cooking.

For more on cooking and fishing, look up a reliable fishing cooking guide that will help you learn the ropes of both professions either simultaneously or individually.