After boot, using the cooking skill once (no matter if you succeed, fail, or
even have any items to do cooking with, so a simple use 'cooking' is enough)
will activate Ulath's Nifty Goldcollar Saving Feature mark II(tm), which will
effectively store your cooking skill percentage over reincs.
Rgds, your friendly neighbourhood Sage
PS. After reinc, you'll of course have to appease Teapot again. He'll just
make you remember more.