The NY Times had a great article about making stock from scratch (“The Taste Bone’s connected to the . . . Soup Bone”). Our butcher reserves bones that come from cutting down larger cuts of meat and freezes them so they are available if you want to make stock or make Rover deliriously happy. Just ask at the butcher counter. What we have will depend on what we’ve cut – in general he has beef, pork and lamb on hand. Remember stock freezes well so if you’re taking the time to make some, make extra! The next time your recipe calls for stock, you can forget the bouillon cube.

Making stock is simple but the rewards are great. The key to chicken stock is to cut the bones of the chicken carcass so that the marrow is exposed. Put in a pot, cover with water and boil for a few hours, covered. A friend makes even easier stock by putting a whole carrot, half an onion and some beef bones in a small pot. Within an hour she has a great base for soup. How do you make your stock?