Cooking

Cooking Guide: From 1 – 375 (using primarily fishing)

Note: You should cook what fish you have as long as it is still at all possible to gain from them (green).

1 – 25 Spice Bread

25 - 50 Brilliant Smallfish or Slitherskin Mackerel

50 - 100 Longjaw Mud Snapper or Rainbow Fin Albacore

100 – 175 Bristle Whisker Catfish (These will go green but you can still get to 175 with them.)

175 – 225 Mithril Headed Trout or Rockscale Cod

225 – 250 Filet of Redgill, Cooked Glossy Mightyfish, or Spotted Yellowtail

250 – 275 Poached Sunscale Salmon or Nightfin Soup. I hesitate to put these in here because of the conditions needed to catch them. If you are having issues catching these fish then try to make it to 274 using the same fish that took you from 225 – 249.

275 – 300 Lobster Stew or Mightfish Steak

300 – 310 Blackened Trout, Feltail Delight, or Broiled Bloodfin (after 2.3).

310 – 320 Zangarian Sporefish ~ Note: If you are having problems finding these you can still advance with the fish needed to get from 300 to 309.

320 – 325 Grilled Mudfish ~ Note: If you are having problems finding these you can most likely still advance on the fish needed between 300 – 309 and 310 – 319.

325 – 350 Golden Fish Sticks or Skullfish Soup (after 2.3). ~ Note: If you are having problems finding these then you can probably advance on the fish needed from 300 – 309, 310 – 319, and 320 – 324.

350 – 375 At this point you can cook anything in the game, but if you really want to get to 375 then your best options are Fisherman’s Feast, Hot Buttered Trout, or Spicy Crawdad.

This is only a guide and has not been tested. It is more hypothetical at this moment. As I work fishing and cooking at the same time I will work on testing this guide.

Edit: I had to remove all hyper links due to what seems to be a technical issue where they would repeat themselves in the post although they were correct when I edited them. Unfortunately, this problem means that you will need to look up the names on wowhead.

From Beer-Basted Boar Ribs to Giant Clam Scorcho, there is no recipe too obscure or odd to avoid notice from the Chefs of Azeroth. Food is used in the game to heal players out of combat, so they can get back to fighting as quickly as possible.
As you're traveling around the world, you'll notice that you often receive pieces of meat, which, instead of being sold to merchants, could be used to create food. If you're a player that relies on food, such as a non-healing player or a player that solos, food should become very important to you.

You can buy food from merchants, but the food gained through cooking is nearly free and it is actually much more effective. Cooking is also a great "flavor" secondary skill because you can entertain players with the funny and interesting dishes you can create. Hand someone some Gooey Spider Cake, Giant Clam Scorcho, or a Curiously Tasty Omelet and you'll see what we mean.

Becoming a Cook

First, find an NPC who can teach you to Cook. Ask a guard for directions in big cities. These trainers will likely be somewhere near a fire or cooking pot and can make you into an Apprentice Cook. Once you've become an apprentice, you will need to buy the appropriate recipe ingredients from a trade merchant and you'll finally be ready to cook it up!
Make sure you learn how to create a campfire so that you can cook anywhere. You'll need to carry around flint and tinder along with some simple wood to create your fire. You can cook over any good fire you find, however such as a stove, brazier, or fireplace. Campfires just give you more options. They're funny too.

To learn expert cooking you will need to purchase an Expert Cookbook. These can be found in Shadowprey Village in Desolace (Horde) or at Silverwing Refuge in Ashenvale (Alliance).

Artisan Cooking requires a completion of quests. The cooking trainer, Zamja in Ogrimmar (Horde) can start it off or Daryl Riknussun in Ironforge can help the Alliance. You need 225 Cooking to start it off.

Recipes

You can get new recipes in several ways: as a reward for a quest, as loot from a monster or chest, or even by buying them from a merchant. A few recipes also come for quests or are only available during special holidays.
You can have your friends be on the lookout for new recipes for you. Cooks are not as common as other tradesmen and this will allow you to have an easier time finding recipes. People may even be more willing to donate recipes to you! Check the auction house for recipes too.

Good Skills to Combine with Cooking

Fishing is often a good skill to combine with Cooking, because recipes you use to cook the fish that you catch end up providing a greater healing benefit, not to mention the fact that fish are always abundantly available.

Cooking for Profit

Players will buy stacks of food from you if you advertise well and set a reasonable price. Entice them with the fact that food created by cooks can provide better healing at lower prices.

Additional Information

The minimum level for Artisan Cooking is 35.
There are many recipes that give buffs that last as long as 15 minutes. These are helpful in raids or in other situations where every little bit helps.

Cooking is a useful secondary skill to all classes, whether you can heal/buff yourself or not. It goes well with Fishing, because you can fish your own food and then cook them. Otherwise, you may have to farm your food.

Cooking does not just pump out items which heal you, some can restore mana and energy, while others provide large buffs which are very helpful.

Cooking requires a fire, which can be quite expensive to make at the lower levels - you need to buy wood and splint. However, you can find a fireplace, usually at an inn, to cook your food as well.

Since it is a secondary skill, why not take it up? Make lots of creative and fun food and impress all your friends!
Here is a very detailed guide on cooking - http://www.worldofwar.net/professions/cooking/index.php

Have fun roasting your meat!