Cooked foods are more efficient at satisfying hunger than raw foods. When you view the contents of a pot or an oven, it includes a collapsible list of cookable or bakable items. Most vegetables and meat can be cooked as is, but more complicated recipes require Mixing.
Mixing is done in a pot or a mixing bowl. You need a minimum of 3 units of valid resources. In the past, the cooking recipes used to be a secret, but nowadays, you can view the mixing cookbook when viewing the contents of any mixing container. Additionally, if you defeat a Crazy Cook in combat, he will drop a page from a cookbook that describes a mixing recipe.
Mixing resources are divided into categories, such as vegetables, flour, etc. All resources within a category are interchangable and count towards the same quota. The result depends on the ratio between different categories. Common ratios are for example 1:1:1, 9:5:1, 8:1, 6:3:3. If a recipe is not recognized, it makes slop, which can be cooked to increase its nutritional value.
From the game's point of view, cooking and baking are two separate things, so you cannot for example make soup in an oven, or bread in a pot. Cooking uses wood from the ground, but currently baking in an oven requires putting the firewood inside the oven. If you fail to do so, the game will tell you what to do. All cooking and baking projects require 40 units of wood, regardless of how many things you are cooking.