Stock

Western stocks are loaded with aromatics and many Asian stocks include ginger. This simple stock has a pure chicken flavor.

We used what the turkey has to offer to create a base for the perfect gravy .

Using turkey meat rather than just bones adds a deep richness to this stock. Although you have to buy the extra parts, you'll be happy you did; great stock is the key to outstanding gravy, and everyone knows you can never have too much of that at Thanksgiving.

This is a basic court-bouillon that can be used to poach any kind of shellfish and most firm meaty fish.

You can make this stock with a variety of fish carcasses (from nonoily fish) or with just one type — whatever your seafood market can give you. This recipe makes more stock than you'll need for the fideos with mussels , but leftovers can be frozen and used for soups, stews, and sauces.

Having broth as a tapa is an old custom that's becoming popular again in both Spain and the U.S. Food editor Ruth Cousineau set out to make just the broth, but the resulting short rib meat was so delicious (even after cooking in broth all that time) that she didn't want to waste it, so she came up with a use for it in a short rib terrine. This recipe is traditionally made with oxtails, but we substituted short ribs and beef shanks because they're easier to get in most supermarkets. If you'd like to try it with oxtails instead of ribs and shanks, use 6 pounds of oxtails (preferably from grass-fed beef, such as Niman Ranch).

Beef stock (often called brown stock) is no more difficult to make than chicken stock, and just a small amount of it can be used to great effect in all sorts of dishes.

Ask your butcher to cut up the wings for you.

This recipe makes lots of stock. Freeze any that's left over for another use.

Kombu comes packaged in dried lengths that are most easily cut with scissors.

Dashi is a subtly flavored soup stock that is used throughout Japanese cooking.