The Magic of Homemade Stock & What I Cooked Last Week

Why You Should Make Stock from Scratch, Healthy Zucchini Basil Soup, Magic Shell Coconut Chia Pudding, Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Sheet Pan Lasagna

Hi everyone,

Hope you had a great week! It’s been an exciting one for me. I announced my debut cookbook and shared the cover! You can check it out and pre‑order your copy here. Pre‑orders are so helpful for first‑time authors, so if you plan to buy the book, I’d be so grateful if you’d consider pre‑ordering.

Today we’re talking about stocks (and no, not the kind that tank your portfolio 😄). I mean the ones you get from simmering veggie scraps with chicken bones, shrimp shells, and other odds and ends. They’re surprisingly easy to make and add so much depth to your cooking. But first, a little backstory…

I was just in Chicago for my cousin’s bridal shower. Both of my mom’s sisters (my aunts Susan and Jennifer) live there, and like my mom, they’re amazing cooks. Whenever I’m in the kitchen with them, I’m usually hovering over their shoulders, soaking up all their tips and tricks. On our first night in town, Aunt Jennifer made this incredible meal: potstickers from scratch (they’re a family favorite, I’ve got a similar recipe coming in the cookbook), pickled radishes (my grandpa’s recipe, I’ve been testing it so I can get it just right for you all), and two delicious mains. One was a silky, custardy mapo tofu with ground chicken, and the other was a saucy shrimp stir fry.

Aunt Jennifer's yummy mapo tofu made with homemade chicken stock

Both were SO good, and when I asked my aunt for her secret, she said it all comes down to homemade stocks. It’s such an easy way to infuse your cooking with a ton of flavor. Below, I’m sharing her method for chicken and shrimp stock, plus a few tips on how to store them.

Cooking with Aunt Jennifer ❤️

First, here’s a recipe for a delicious zucchini soup my mom has been making for years. It’s super creamy, yet surprisingly healthy, made with zucchini, onion, garlic, and plenty of fresh basil. We hope you give it a try and love it as much as we do!

What I Cooked Last Week! ↓

Healthy Zucchini Basil Soup

This healthy soup is incredibly delicious and shockingly creamy (but without any cream)!

Healthy Zucchini Basil Soup

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You can download the PDF recipe above and watch the video here :)

The Magic of Homemade Stock

Because I spend so much time in the kitchen, I tend to cook quickly and usually just grab store-bought stock from a carton. But seeing my aunt use homemade stock in two dishes was truly eye-opening. You could really taste the difference. It’s that thing you can’t quite pinpoint, but it adds a whole other dimension to the dish. And hearing her talk about how simple it is to make totally sold me on its value. You don’t need to use it every time, but it’s such a nice upgrade, especially when you’re hosting or want to put a little extra care into a meal.

So, how do you actually make stock from scratch? I’m sharing two versions below: chicken and shrimp.

Chicken stock is super versatile. You can use it in soups, grains, braises, gravies, or even global dishes like mapo tofu, ramen, and gumbo. Shrimp stock adds rich depth to seafood pastas, risottos, curries, stews, and even stir-fries like my aunt’s shrimp stir fry.

First, if you have chicken bones or skin, shrimp shells, and/or veggie scraps but no time to make stock right away, just toss them into Ziploc bags and freeze them for later. Keep the chicken and shrimp separate. Whenever my aunt’s making anything with shrimp, she’ll buy shell-on and save the shells for stock.

For a basic (non-Asian) stock, add the following to a large pot: