Meatloaf is cozy. Soup is cozy. Put them together, and dinner suddenly feels like it has pulled up a chair and handed you a spoon.

A good pot of soup starts before the soup. It starts with water, bones, vegetables, herbs, time, and a little patience. Homemade stock and broth give soups, stews, beans, risotto, sauces, and gravies the kind of flavor that boxed cartons rarely match.