This mod a rewrite of the game to give you more control, immersion, and enjoyment out of your meals while playing

You'll find that cooking in-game requires both the cookbook and your frying pan.

This mod is not as extreme as the Harvest Moon collect-a-thon system for gating your cooking opportunities. However, it does have cooking tool progression enable to limit your use of ingredients while your Frying Pan's level is low.

Upgrades a much more affordable, and like the Trash Can it's not a held object: it only appears in the new-improved cooking menu.