Keep a new site very tightly focused on a narrow niche within your niche.
 
If you go too broad with a new site you'll struggle to rank well and get traffic.
 
Yes, you can have a broad site that covers everything related to cooking. That can be your long-term goal.
 
For the short-term, though, focus on ONE subniche within the cooking niche - even a subniche of a subniche!
 
For example, you might start out writing only about how to cook pasta - different kinds of pasta, different pasta dishes, different cooking utensils to use with pasta, how to make your own pasta. Everything pasta.
 
Keep your posts narrow, too. Don't write one post about the different kinds of pasta that exist. Instead, write one post for each kind of pasta. THEN write a post that compares all the kinds of past you've written about.
 
Don't write one post about how to make 5 different variations of lasagna - write one post for each variation.
 
Once you're doing well with your pasta posts add another subniche like "pizza". Grow your pizza category just as you did your pasta category.
 
As you add new subniches rearrange the categories and navigation menu on your site to accommodate those new topics.
 
Focus on your content, post regularly, and follow the tips above.
 
You'll find your posts draw more attention in Google and your traffic should grow.
 
Thanks!
 
Sincerely,
 
Erica Stone
erica@extremereviewer.com