How do we cook or use blacksmithing?

[Praise the Solaire!]

I see in the game it says cooking skill, and I see what looks like food materials drop, and I even found charcoal, but I don't see anywhere where it says, "cook here". I was also wondering if there's any use from collecting the ores other than a few quest items or selling it? Is there a way to craft anything with it? I've just beaten the 1st wave so was wondering if this would change later or not. Seems like the cooking should have long been introduced now at the very least since I have cooking II now and have yet to cook a single item.

[Reena]

same and i got filo already

[Mole204]

Eventually, after the trader missions, you get to craft items. You'll need a lot of silver ore (1 per item to make), some ores and gems. There's also a failure chance which gives a black lump. Successful crafting gives necklaces and hairpins. Strength, luck, mind, protection, etc. You can find silver ore in the seed mine. There's more ores north of Lute, and just south of the gem mine in the far northeast. Plus more ores in some other mountain locations.
'Havn't gotten to cooking though.

[Mr. Moyer]

Half of the shield skills you get in this game are USELESS. They are only illustrative "flavor text" because Naofumi got a ton of skills in the manga/anime and they wanted to stay true to that. But there are NO MECHANICS built into the game that actually use most of the shield skills. There is even one shield (interdimensional bee needle shield I - paralyze) that you unlock but you NEVER get the shield added to your list of skills. That one does, however, show up as a "Change Shield" skill after you use "Airstrike Shield" on someone while the Bee Needle SHield II - poison does NOT show up on the Change Shield list but you can equip it as a physical shield to use its counterattack poison function.

Even the elemental resistance skills are USELESS because none of the enemies use elemental magic attacks.

There is NO cooking or blacksmithing in this game. The "intermediate compounding" skill and recipes have NO EFFECT at all. The only compounding you get are two sets of recipes: one for basic medicines and one to make better medicines and USELESS "grenade" items that you can't even use in combat. Then you also have Accessory Crafting which lets you make rings, hairpins, necklaces, and bracelets which each raise ONE of your base stats when equipped. Both Compounding and Accessories can be performed only when you go to an inn or campfire to sleep.