Spolier alert
You can make potions
really? man you shoulda put that in spoielr tags! you jsut ruined my game

What about blacksmithing and tanning recipies. I did those for the first time and there are a number of things I can craft from leather and leather straps (tanning) to boots, armor, and head pieces (blacksmithing). Also notice I have recipes for crafting some jewelry.
Do you just start the game with those recipes and then find/learn new ones later?
the only things you learn are from perks (deadric smithing, dragon emishting, ect) and
Spoiler the companions quest line gives you the ability to make nord hero weapons and armor but it is the only quest line that i know of that gives you the ability to craft something special like that
edit: almost forgot about somethign special
Spoiler there is the atronach forge under the college of winterhold that lets you make things like deadric gear and deadric atronachs out of items like void salts deadric hearts and sigil stones, but i dont know anything but how to make a fire atronach, you just gotta experiment with it