Hello @Brahmali 
Can you help me understand about what is called “taking the cue from the mind” in order to advance in our meditations? How does one actually do that? Are there examples from other suttas to help me make sense of it?
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I’m not usually a big fan of comparing different translations, but I will point out how to do that if you want to.
more on SuttaCentral
You can click on the Parallels button to see other translators as well as parallels in other texts.
More on the internet
You can use this citation helper to find more translations on other sites:
Citation Helper—ReadingFaithfully.org
The translation on DhammaTalks.org has some related suttas listed.
And if you click on the Views button you can reveal the Pali of the phrase you are wondering about. Perhaps some of the index entries for nimitta here would be helpful.
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I’m not Venerable Brahmali, but here are some thoughts.
As far as what the “Cook” sutta is teaching, one interpretation is that you are the cook, your mind is the master, and the dishes you’re serving it are different forms of meditation. The wise cook figures out what dishes the master likes depending on the circumstances. Similarly, the wise meditator figures out what meditation their mind likes depending on the circumstances. I imagine that for advanced meditators, these meditation adjustments can be very subtle.
Another interpretation is that the “pick up the sign of his own mind”/“take their mind’s hint” is the traditional learning/counterpart sign for jhana described in the commentaries and by some modern teachers. Here is the note on that line from Piya Tan’s Sutta Discovery on this sutta (which is essentially the same as Venerable Bodhi’s note in his SN translation).
Here are some other suttas about the broader concept that this “Cook” sutta is addressing, i.e. adjusting the practice based on current conditions and keeping it balanced. Hopefully, others can add more examples
SN 46.53 - when to develop certain enlightenment factors based on whether the mind is sluggish or restless
SN 47.10 - when the mind is disturbed during meditation, direct it toward an inspiring sign to settle it before going back to the meditation
AN 3.102 - direct the mind from time to time to the bases of samadhi, effort, and equanimity to keep the practice balanced
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The Pali is sakassa cittassa nimittaṁ uggaṇhāti. Bhante Sujato’s latest rendering is “they take their mind’s hint”. The verb uggaṇhāti can mean to take or to receive, but also to understand or to learn. In the context of the Cook Sutta, uggaṇhāti means to understand. What you understand is the characteristic (nimitta) or your own mind (sakassa cittassa). This can be understood in a couple of different ways. It can be seen as understanding the mind in whatever way it appears. In other words, you understand the defilements, their cause, and how they are given up, thus succeeding in the practice. It can also be understood to mean you understand the mind without defilements, which again means you are able to guide the meditation in the right way.
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Here is a Dhamma talk by the Venerable Sunyo on this very sutta. He begins with a short guided meditation which may quickly help you understand what the sutta is pointing to.
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