Update Cooking Skill :)

Yes I have been cooking again. I managed to work up to level 26 today, so I can go on to the profitable insect balls. (I hope)
So I figured I would write again, what I have done, this is from my sister, who skilled up this way.
Fire crystals are not as expensive as they used to be, from what I understand, still I tend to farm and keep all my crystals so it is not often I have to buy them. Usually just what I need to cap what I am working on. I also keep much of what I have for later skills, if possible. Also I farm when I can, I save all my crystals, shipping them to a mule. I only use them for other things when I have to. Maybe not so smart but I need to save my gil, and since the price of crystals have gone way down, I would rather keep them than try to sell them.

Here we go.
Level one
Before I knew what I was doing, I started with the cooking guides on FFXIcyclopedia.
Carrot Broth level 0-3
San d'Orian Carrot x4
Water Crystal

After just a bit of that my sister, sent me some lizard eggs, This helps if you know someone that can farm stuff for you to get going. So I stopped spending money on Carrots, and made some hard boiled eggs. The recipe is the same with bird eggs, which caps at level 6. You can get the distilled water at the restaurant there close to the cooking guild in Windhurst Waters. Keep the eggs and use them for level low skilled jobs, especially if you have mana access, since they increase both HP and MP. You can sell them, but they were slow sell for me. You might as well use them.

Hard boiled Eggs caps at 4


Lizard egg x1
Fire Crystal
Distilled waterx1

Bird eggx1 instead of Lizard Egg caps at 6

Then I did a bit of Herbal broth, I would not suggest doing it unless you have lots of water crystals. The ingredients can be bought at the guild.

Herbal Broth cap at7
Water Crystal
Beaugreens x2
frost Turnips x2.


What I did make the salmon sub sandwich for the test. The hardest thing with this is the running to get everything you need. In Windy that was a pain in the neck. :)

Salmon Sub Sandwich cap 8
Earth Crystal
Apple Vinegar
Black bread
Crying Mustard
La Theine Cabbage
Mithran Tomato
Smoked Salmon

Once I capped that and turned it in, I sold the rest, some on AH, some to guild. :)

Then too Orange Juice. This was kind of a pain to do because of the juices not stacking. Do this if you are a mage while you are out leveling and skill ups. Then you can use it while doing something else at the same time. The oranges you can get at a vendor near the gate at Windy Waters.

Orange Juice cap 10
Water crystal
Saruta oranges x4

Then I did sliced sardines to skill up.
This took some extra work, since I hate to pay for stuff if I can help it. So I fished and I lost money fishing because I listened to a different guide and lost the rig I bought when I had never fished. If you have not fished, go cheep at first to learn how to fish. It will save you some gil!
They sold okay at the AH.

Sliced Sardine cap 11
Wind Crystal
Bastore Sardine

Then I did roast mushrooms. Again I have to thank my sister for this, she farmed most of the mushrooms for me! Great to use if you have a whm job, or leveling whm. You can sell these at AH, moved slow for me, or use them yourself.

Roast Mushroom lvl 16 cap

Fire crystal
Sleepyshroom x2, or Danceshroomx2, or woozyshroomx2
rocksalt

Selbina Butter, most guides I read say sell them, but save yourself some time and grief, and keep them. If you plan on going far with cooking you will use the butter in the long run. Again my sister helped me out by farming the milk I needed and getting me the crystals because I did not have many. If you save them, you will most likely need a mule to store these puppies since you get 4 sticks off of one synth recipe. In the middle of doing this you will need to stop and make Pea soup for the test.

Selbina Butter cap level 20

Ice crystal
Rock salt
Selbina Milk

Pea Soup cap level 18

Fire Crystal
Blue peas x3
Distilled H20
dried Marjoram
wild onion

Baked Popoto was the next thing I did. I already had the butter, the popoto's you can buy from the same vendor as the oranges, and there you go. Again I farm fire crystals, not hard to do in Saratabuta. They don't sell back well but you don't loose lots either.

Baked Popoto lvl cap 22

Fire Crystal
popoto
Selbina Butter

After that I did the Meat Jerky. I had manged to get a subjob and ended up in Sandy to work on fame there for a subjob quest. I farmed for the meat, and I was able to make back some money off of this one. Not lots, but enough that it is not a money eater if you have the crystals and buy from vendors. This recipe makes 2, I did not have lots of breaks. If you start this before lvl 22 you will most likely need synthesis support. I have never used it because I like to work near my vendors or AH.

Meat Jerkey cap level 26

Ice Crystal
Dried Marjoram
Giant Sheep Meat
Rock salt


After this is insect paste balls, and the vegetable gruel for the test. I have started to grow some of the millioncorn in my moghouse. I would do more but the cost of grain seeds is rather high.


Insect paste level 29 cap
Earth Crystal
Distilled water
little worm
million corn

Vegetable gruel test item
Fire crystal
Batagreens or Beaugreens
chamomile
distiled Water
frost turnip
Rarab tail
tarutaru rice or San d' Orian Flour
(the or options make a lvl 26 item)