On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 12:29:55 GMT, "Peter Aitken"
> wrote:

>The stock/broth distinction youu mention is an artificial one. Some people
>use it but it is really meaningless. For example, if I simmer a whole
>chicken - meat and bones - would I end up with stock or broth? The terms are
>usually used interchangeably.

That's not my experience, Peter. Stock is usually defined as having
more collagen from bone marrow and thus greater body, than broth,
which is purely liquid. Cool a good veal or chicken stock, and it
thickens coniderably, while a broth, which is more similar to
bouillon.

Vegetable stock, of course, is really a misnomer. It's really a broth.

>Making your own is always better (assuming you do it right!) but not always
>feasible. Fortunately there are some decent commercial stocks available.
>Swanson's chicken stock is surprisingly good. Their beef stock is not as
>good but is still OK. There are also condensed products like demi glace gold
>which takes veal stock and reduces it to a jelly - you then dissolve it for
>use. Probably needless to say, but bullion cubes should be avoided like the
>plague.

Absolutely, yes.

Andy Katz