Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

Prepared chicken broth is that go-to kitchen staple when you don’t have the time (or the chicken) needed to simmer up your own. It gives soups, stews and sauces a flavor boost, and can sub for milk when making mashed potatoes.

“Broth occupies an intermediate position between stock and soup,” according to the “Oxford Companion to Food,” which notes that broth can be eaten as is, whereas a stock would normally be consumed only as an ingredient in something more complex.

But what’s in the array of cartons on supermarket shelves? And do they all taste alike? Well, the broths and stocks from our survey range in color from lemon-yellow to auburn. The taste? It varied, influenced by the ingredients in addition to the obvious broths used in their creation. Which is why we zeroed in on a few interesting ingredients we found on the labels, that is the “Who knew,” included below. Our rating is based on a scale of 1 to 9, with 5 being average.

Swanson 100 Percent Natural Chicken Broth (5.6 points; $3.45 for 32 ounces; 11 cents per ounce): “Aroma of chicken and butter, salt and spice aftertaste.” “Not much chicken flavor, bland but would be a decent base.” “Light poached chicken flavor; would buy.” “Fragrant, almost floral, herbal; pleasant light meaty flavor.” Who knew: Sugar, dehydrated onions, yeast extract, chicken fat, carrots, celery, onions

Progresso 100 Percent Natural Chicken Broth (5.6 points; $3.29 for 32 ounces; 10 cents per ounce): “Tastes of carrots and celery more than chicken, good flavor though.” “Herbs and salt and no sense of chicken.” “Good flavor. Nice chicken, not too salty.” “Sharp almost citrus hints; I like it.” Who knew: Sugar, natural flavor, carrot, onion, celery, green bell pepper

Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock (4.6 points; $3.69 for 32 ounces; 12 cents per ounce): “Herbal, hint of chicken liver, sweet herbal taste.” “Peppery, poached chicken. Carrots, touch of sweetness.” “Harsh, acid.” “Smoky overtones, chicken light.” Who knew: Honey, vegetable stocks (carrot, onion, mushroom, celery), bay (sic), thyme, pepper

O Organics Chicken Broth (4.2 points; $3.29 for 32 ounces; 10 cents per ounce): “Fair meaty aroma, onion flavors, no chicken.” “Roast chicken, strong onion-celery flavor, overwhelming.” “Herbal smell, some chicken.” “Odd flavor; can’t figure out what it is.” Who knew: Organic vegetable stock (organic carrot, organic onion, organic celery, sea salt, mushroom extract), organic evaporated cane juice, yeast extract, organic spice

Also tasted

Whole Foods 365 Organic Chicken Broth (4 points; $1.99 for 32 ounces; 6 cents per ounce): “Reminds me of Lipton’s.” “Thin no richness to flavor.” “Tastes of celery and onions.” Who knew: Organic chicken fat, organic evaporated cane juice, organic onion powder, organic garlic powder, organic cornstarch, organic tumeric (sic), organic spices, organic carrot powder

Pacific Natural Foods Organic Free Range Chicken Broth (4 points; $3.39 for 32 ounces; 11 cents per ounce): “Roasted chicken; strange floral sweet flavor.” “Burnt taste, unpleasant.” “Not overly salty, not much chicken flavor.” Who knew: Evaporated cane juice, organic onion powder, turmeric, organic flavor

Swanson Chicken Stock (2.8 points; $3.69 for 26 ounces; 14 cents per ounce): “Taste of packaged spice mix.” “Taste of vegetables overpowering.” “No chicken flavor.” “Less salty.” Who knew: Carrots, cabbage, onions, celery, celery leaves, salt, parsley

The results: A first-place tie between Swanson and Progresso.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours, 15 minutes

Serves: 6

This recipe, from chef Tom Colicchio, is courtesy of Food & Wine magazine. Flanken-style short ribs are cut across the bones instead of parallel to them.

Note: The prep time does not include the overnight marinate time for the short ribs.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons canola oil

6 flanken-style short ribs with bones, cut 2 inches thick (about 4 pounds); see note above

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, sliced

3 celery ribs, sliced

3 garlic cloves, thickly sliced

One 750-ml bottle dry red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon

4 thyme sprigs

3 cups chicken stock

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Add them to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until browned and crusty, about 18 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a shallow baking dish in a single layer.

Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the skillet and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Add the wine and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour the hot marinade over the ribs and let cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning the ribs once.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the ribs and marinade to a large, enameled cast-iron casserole. Place on cook top, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook in the lower third of the oven for 11/2 hours, until the meat is tender but not falling apart. Uncover and braise for 45 minutes longer, turning the ribs once or twice, until the sauce is reduced by about half and the meat is very tender.

Transfer the meat to a clean, shallow baking dish, discarding the bones as they fall off. Strain the sauce into a heatproof measuring cup and skim off as much fat as possible. Pour the sauce over the meat; there should be about 2 cups. (At this point, you may cover and refrigerate the meat up to 2 days.)

Preheat the broiler. Broil the meat, turning once or twice, until glazed and sizzling, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to plates, spoon the sauce on top and serve.

Per serving using low sodium chicken broth: 406 cal.; 27 g pro.; 10 g carb.; 19 g fat (7 sat., 9 monounsat., 2 polyunsat., 1 other); 75 mg chol.; 297 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 43 percent calories from fat.

Vegans, fruitarians, flexitarians – we’re all familiar with the labels. But what happens when a lifelong vegetarian is forced to go over to the dark side? Health issues prompted Tara Austen Weaver’s holistic doctor to suggest that her hummus-loving patient eat some, shhh, chicken – or maybe a steak.

The resulting plunge into the world of butchers, bacon and chicken stock brought Weaver, a San Francisco food writer back to balance and health. Or it did, when she accompanied the flank steak with a fresh kale salad, washed down with a glass of pureed green stuff.

By turns hilarious, poignant and politically aware, Weaver’s new memoir, “The Butcher and the Vegetarian” (Rodale, 228 pp., $23.99), shares the realizations and revelations of that journey. Among the insights: that barbecued bacon is amazing, that “meat hangovers” exist – but green juice and raw foods cure all – and that we are all much too quick to slap disparaging labels on fellow diners.

Last week, Weaver took a break to answer questions between book signing gigs in San Francisco and Seattle, her second home.

Q: Omnivores, fruitarians and vegetarians-who-make-an-exception-for-bacon – why are we so quick to categorize?

A: When you label something, it’s easier to dismiss. Spending time now in the meat world, I’ve heard some pretty brutal dismissals of vegetarians and vegans. These are people making a personal choice based on their values. What is to be gained by making fun of them? Then again, there are a lot of vegans and vegetarians going off on meat-eaters and saying they’re bloody murderers. I’m all about getting everyone to the table and making sure everyone is happy and satisfied.

Q: What about you, personally? Have you gone back to the veggie side?

A: I try to be a conscientious eater.

Q: Not going to tell, huh?

A: (Laughs) It’s in the book.

Q: How did your vegetarian family take the news that you’d visited a, you know, butcher?

A: I think it was a little hard for my mother. I’d kept it to myself – I’d eat in restaurants and at other people’s houses. When I started cooking (meat) at home, she referred to my freezer as a graveyard, because it had animals in it.

Q: You’ve spent time on both halves of the battlefield – I’m thinking, of course, about the Oakland barbecue fest you describe as Meat Henge.

A: Not having grown up in that culture, I didn’t realize how passionate meat eaters are. There’s an almost primal relationship to it. It sticks to your ribs in a way that a lot of other things don’t. It’s a security thing: I’m full now, so I don’t have to worry about gathering my food or going to the store. It speaks to our Neanderthal nature.

Q: Me Tarzan, you vegetarian? But there’s a cultural component too.

A: With any sort of food, there is tradition, culture, comfort. Your mother’s meat loaf tastes like no one else’s.

Q: Do you see a geographic difference?

A: Seattle and NorCal are very different when it comes to meat. (In Seattle, ) I feel like I’ve gone back in time in terms of sensitivity issues, to the Bay Area in the ’80s, where maybe there was one vegetarian entree on the menu.

Q: What do you make of the resurgence of interest in carnivorous dining?

A: A lot of people became vegetarians because of the industrial meat system. They didn’t want to support that. Now we’re having a bit of a meat renaissance with ethical meat eating. There are people doing it better and doing it small-scale and doing it in a way that’s humane – although there are vegetarians who say, killing is not humane. At the end of the day, the more people who know what goes into their food and how it comes to their plate, the better off we are.

FLANK STEAK WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

Serves 4

1 1/2 pound trimmed flank steak

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 large garlic clove

1 1/2 cups each fresh parsley and cilantro (or 3 cups parsley)

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1. Preheat the broiler or ready the barbecue grill. Rinse and dry the steak. Combine salt, cumin, coriander and cayenne. Rub mixture over the meat on both sides.

2. Grill or broil the steak. Five minutes per side should yield medium-rare. Let rest a few minutes before slicing thinly, against the grain.

3. Finely chop the garlic in a food processor or on a large cutting board. Add the green herbs and continue chopping/pulsing until the mixture forms a loose paste. Add the oil, vinegar, salt and red pepper flakes. Serve the steak with the chimichurri sauce on top.

-Tara Austen Weaver, www.taraweaver.com

Making what chefs call a liaison is usually taught in French technique classes at culinary school. A liaison is nothing more than mixing a warm liquid with egg yolks so that the egg yolks coagulate slowly and thicken the sauce making it rich and creamy. The danger, of course, is that you add the hot liquid too quickly and you scramble the eggs. But with a little practice, a liaison is a useful technique every cook can master. It’s great as a base for making ice creams and puddings and for thickening soups and sauces.

I learned to make a liaison some 30 years ago from a chef/professor in a Greek cooking class at the Culinary Institute of America.

Chef Dimitri, who was already 80 years old when I was a student, was a small gentleman with a huge moustache. He could whip up the perfect liaison every time and never ended up with scrambled eggs. He had us practice the technique making Greek Egg and Lemon Soup.

This creamy, tart, golden yellow soup is like slurping a bowl of warm sunshine. It is traditionally made from chicken stock, however it is equally delicious made with vegetable stock. It is also typically made with white rice but you can substitute orzo if you prefer.

GREEK EGG AND LEMON SOUP

8 cups vegetable broth or low-sodium vegetable broth

1 cup white basmati rice or orzo

2 whole garlic cloves, peeled

5 egg yolks

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 3 lemons

Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

Combine the vegetable broth with rice or orzo and whole garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until tender. Discard garlic cloves.

In a mixing bowl, combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and ground pepper. Whisk until well combined.

When the orzo or rice is tender, dip out about 2 cups hot broth into a glass measuring cup. While you whisk the egg mixture, very slowly drizzle the 2 cups hot broth into the egg yolk mixture; if you add it too quickly you will scramble the egg yolks. This is what you want to avoid. Continue whisking and adding liquid to the egg yolks until the measuring cup is empty.

Remove the saucepan with the orzo or rice from the burner and, once again, very slowly whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan combining well until thickened. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving made with regular vegetable broth: 142 calories, 19 percent calories from fat, 3 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 131 milligrams cholesterol, 25 grams carbohydrates, .4 gram total fiber, 2 grams total sugars, 24 grams net carbs, 4 grams protein, 946 milligrams sodium.

Per serving made with low-sodium vegetable broth: 142 calories, 19 percent calories from fat, 3 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 131 milligrams cholesterol, 25 grams carbohydrates, .4 gram total fiber, 2 grams total sugars, 24 grams net carbs, 4 grams protein, 146 milligrams sodium.

Dear SOS: We recently ate at Humphrey’s Restaurant in San Diego. We loved the Cajun shrimp and corn chowder.

—Kathy Kaiser, Orange, Calif.

Dear Kathy: Corn and shrimp are a great pairing and make for a great harmony in this simple but richly flavored Cajun spiced soup.

CAJUN SHRIMP AND CORN CHOWDER

Total time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Note: Adapted from Humphrey’s Restaurant in San Diego. Cajun and Creole spice blends can be found in the prepackaged spice sections of most supermarkets.

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 large onion, diced

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon Cajun or Creole spice or seasoning, divided, more to taste

2 (12-ounce) boxes frozen corn

2 cups chicken stock, more as needed

1 cup bay shrimp

1 cup heavy cream, more to taste

Chopped parsley, garnish

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 21/2 tablespoons butter. Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in 1 tablespoon Cajun spice, corn and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until the corn is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

3. While the soup is cooking, saute the shrimp. Season the shrimp with the remaining Cajun spice. Heat a large saute pan over high heat, melt the remaining butter and quickly saute the shrimp until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and move the shrimp to a bowl. Set aside in a warm place.

4. Stir the heavy cream into the soup and heat to a gentle simmer. Cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes to thicken the soup slightly.

5. Remove from heat and puree the soup until smooth. Adjust the seasoning as needed and stir in additional cream if desired. Stir in the cooked shrimp.

6. Serve the soup garnished with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Each of 6 servings: 323 calories; 10 grams protein; 33 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 19 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 87 mg. cholesterol; 7 grams sugar; 476 mg. sodium.

Dear SOS: We recently ate at Humphrey’s Restaurant in San Diego. We loved the Cajun shrimp and corn chowder.

—Kathy Kaiser, Orange, Calif.

Dear Kathy: Corn and shrimp are a great pairing and make for a great harmony in this simple but richly flavored Cajun spiced soup.

CAJUN SHRIMP AND CORN CHOWDER

Total time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Note: Adapted from Humphrey’s Restaurant in San Diego. Cajun and Creole spice blends can be found in the prepackaged spice sections of most supermarkets.

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 large onion, diced

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon Cajun or Creole spice or seasoning, divided, more to taste

2 (12-ounce) boxes frozen corn

2 cups chicken stock, more as needed

1 cup bay shrimp

1 cup heavy cream, more to taste

Chopped parsley, garnish

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 21/2 tablespoons butter. Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in 1 tablespoon Cajun spice, corn and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until the corn is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

3. While the soup is cooking, saute the shrimp. Season the shrimp with the remaining Cajun spice. Heat a large saute pan over high heat, melt the remaining butter and quickly saute the shrimp until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and move the shrimp to a bowl. Set aside in a warm place.

4. Stir the heavy cream into the soup and heat to a gentle simmer. Cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes to thicken the soup slightly.

5. Remove from heat and puree the soup until smooth. Adjust the seasoning as needed and stir in additional cream if desired. Stir in the cooked shrimp.

6. Serve the soup garnished with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Each of 6 servings: 323 calories; 10 grams protein; 33 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 19 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 87 mg. cholesterol; 7 grams sugar; 476 mg. sodium.