I just use the houses for storage/selling stuff so theyre not really important.
I like Whiterun since its fairly central, is close to shops, access to Skyforge and I got a modded file so I have both an alchemy and enchanting table in the back.
What's the point of cooking? It's not a skill tree so it's not like it gets any better and I have so many ingredients that are taking up so much room. The things that you can cook aren't even that great, I don't think...