Im not sure if the crafting is buggy or not fully implemented yet but i couldnt figure out how to craft a lot of items and several combinations from the previous game dont work.
But it got me thinking.
How about if all items we can use for crafting could be used in several different ways for different stuff?
So for example, the nails could be used to craft lockpicks but also other items that would make some kind of sense. As a part of armors, boots, belts, maybe bows and axes and similar.
The eatable stuff could also be combined in several ways instead of just one specific combination. For potions with different effects and for food.
So instead of just one combination for an item we have several for each.
That would fit with overabundance of crafting items. And with lack of any more obvious recipe books and hints. Even if there is more recipe books in the final game this would still be needed to reduce wild guessing and time it takes to craft stuff.
edit:
All the ingredients for potions should give several different potions, not just one each. Combining any two of them should give something as a result. It doesnt need to be some super awesome potion, but just some potion.
All or most of the food ingredients should give different kinds of meals even be a part of some potions.
A "fruit salad" can be made with almost anything, right?
Im pretty sure they are many ways to combine potatoes too. With milk, with water, fried, mashed, boiled, etc, etc.
Similar stuff for the rest of the ingredients.
Sure, this would probably necessitate adding one more crafting slot but that shouldnt be a big problem.
I dont mean to say that all ingredients should mix with whatever and that there needs to be thousands of combinations, but just a bit more then usual.
edit:
If the crafting skill was still in it could have been used to give you more crafting slots.