The CHOW Blog

There's no denying that homemade beef stock adds great flavor to sauces and soups. But if you don't have any on hand, Salbert wonders if there isn't a better alternative to canned beef broth, which can have an unpleasant metallic flavor. Chowhounds say umami-rich alternatives—which happen to be vegetarian—add real depth to both beef dishes and meatless preps.

A good mushroom broth actually contributes more complexity to a dish than beef broth does, soupkitten says. For even more flavor, mleighn adds red wine and a splash of soy sauce. If you don't have time to make mushroom broth, try soaking dried mushrooms, then reducing the strained soaking liquid for a similar effect, greygarious says. Or, to add a sense of meatiness without mushrooms, try adding miso past, Fiona suggests.

Discuss: Substitute for Beef Broth

Photo of CHOW's Easy Mushroom Broth by Chris Rochelle / CHOW.com

Late spring is peak season for rhubarb, and in addition to baking it into pies and cooking it into compotes, Chowhounds are transforming its stalks into beverages, with and without alcohol.

A spoonful of sweet-tart rhubarb syrup (pictured) lends a pretty pink blush and bright flavor to a glass of prosecco, a drink that's even better with a splash of the orange-and-rhubarb-flavored aperitif Aperol, Breadcrumbs says. Chowhound foodieX2 uses rhubarb syrup in a margarita made by mixing one part each syrup, pink grapefruit juice, and silver tequila with a half part triple sec and lime juice to taste. READ MORE

If you're not wild about the taste of commercial veggie burgers, or would prefer to avoid the heavily processed soy that's often their main ingredient, there's good news: It's pretty simple to make your own using whole foods like beans, grains, and nuts—and the seasoning options are almost endless. Try these seven recipes loved by users of Chowhound's Vegetarian and Vegan discussion board: READ MORE

The difference between baby back and St. Louis-style ribs doesn't really have to do with how you cook them, but in the cut you start with, hill food says on Chowhound. St. Louis ribs are spareribs with the so-called rib tips removed, mike0989 says. Spareribs come from a spot on the pig next to the belly, arguably the tastiest zone of the animal (see: bacon). And rib tips themselves are beloved by Chowhounds, who consider them a delicious treat. READ MORE

Unlike regular scissors, which only have two blades, herb shears have six or even ten blades spaced evenly apart, and can quickly snip even segments of herbs. But are they a useful tool you'll reach for again and again, or should you just stick with knives and scissors?

While they're not at all necessary, some cooks who lack confidence in their knife work might find these unitaskers useful, kaleokahu says. They effortlessly create unerringly fine cuts at perfectly uniform dimensions, if that's important to you—well, effortlessly if you don't count the cleaning, kaleokahu says. mbCrispyBits, however, finds they make the process of snipping up herbs less messy than using a cutting board. READ MORE