Glad to hear it. Enjoy the quests - imo, they are very well written and interesting. The side quests tend to be "go fetch" types, but the main stuff is amazing.
If you haven't done so, join the mages, fighters, and undaunted guilds. You don't have to do the quest lines just yet (and I'd recommend you wait until a higher level). But by just joining, you open up their respective skill lines.
Slightly off topic but EOS build related...
I am working off a sorcerer build I found that relies on Inner Light and Bound Aegis along with Liquid Lightning. The question I have is this: Should I skill up other perks since some of these do not open up until later in the game at higher levels or just hold the points to boost these when they become available?
I wouldn't hold the skill points - just perk other skills or morphs.
A good substitute for Bound Armor/Bound Aegis is Boundless Storm (morph of Lightning Form). I'm almost Vet 2 and I still regularly use Boundless Storm. I only use Bound Aegis these days when I know I'm getting into a big fight where magicka management is essential (Bound Aegis boosts your max magicka). Boundless Storm lasts 15 seconds, but can be recast rather cheaply. It provides greater spell and physical resistances than Bound Aegis and it gives you a speed boost. It also damages the enemies when you're in the thick of it.
Good luck!
The recipes can be found in drawers, tables, nightstands, and chests. As far as taking up space, I encourage you to read ("click on") the recipe. It disappears from your inventory, but your charcter will remember it when you go to a cooking fire.
Example: You get the recipe for sweet potatos, which calls for bananas and potatos. Click on the recipe in your inventory. Your character will "memorize" the recipe and the recipe will disappear from your inventory. While traveling, you happen to find bananas and potatos. When you go to a cooking fire, the recipe for sweet potatos will be highlighted as available to cook because you have the necessary ingredients. All recipes that you learned, but do not have the ingredients for, will show up red - not available to cook.
In my opinion, alchemy is far more important for a sorcerer. I just reached Vet3 and have still not put a single point into provisioning. I just eat/drink what I am able. Provisioning is one of the fastest crafting abilities to level, so I'm waiting a bit longer before I go that route. Alchemy, on the other hand, I use regularly have put a significant amount of points into when I started reaching level 20. I constantly made alchemy potions to level up the skill but didn't perk it until level 20, which is when the bosses get really difficult.
My sorc has heavily perked clothing, woodworking, alchemy, and enchanting. He's minored into blacksmithing. However, I am working toward making my character a master crafter.
There are plenty of skill points available to master every craft on one character if you want.
I suggest that you work at raising your crafting level, but first putting the bulk of your points into the combat/defensive skills that you want. Definitely perk the Keen Eye and Hireling perks, but wait until you have other sorc skills before dumping a lot of points into crafting. My sorc used found/dropped/looted clothing and staves until Level 40. My other suggestion is to join a guild, which will most likely have master crafters who will craft what you need when you're at a lower level.