Here I am, just enjoying cooking a risotto primavera (in summer... so more a Risotto Estate, then:)). It's one of my favourite cookery activities; it's relaxing, gives you time to reflect while your stir and stir...I also enjoy the copious glasses of wine consumed in this lengthy process. I tend to go a little bit Keith Floyd when I cook dishes with alcohol in - one for the pot, one for me! - so try to avoid recipes involving booze, and always use cooking sake rather than drinking sake. :) AAAAAAanyway, I reached for a reliable stock cube, and remembered how much I rely on and dig this product: http://kallofoods.com/kallo/products/stock-cubes/organic-vegetable-stock-cubes/ They're squidgy, rich and salty, flecked with vegetables and herbs. They pack a punch, too; often, especially if cooking for one, half a cube is enough, as they can be quite overpowering! I don't know how often I've reached for these little life-saving guys when in the kitchen, but they really are the bee's knees, and I hope all you fellow cooks value the importance of storecupboard helpers like this one. SO...what are your trusted, go-to storecupboard products? Does a certain brand do it for you, so that no substitute will do? And (horror of horrors) have you ever fallen in love with a product only to have it discontinued, and miss having that helpful package in your storecupboard? Please, do tell, good people! X