Dear Diary,
Geez Fattytini, what's chicken stock? [Refering to previous recipe of Healthy Tom Yam] Where can I get it? Is it available in the market? Is it expensive?

Well, you can find it in any major supermarket. It is not that expensive, more or less like a bottle of ketchup. It comes in many form, liquid or cube. But if you are more concern on your health, and your family as well, you can easily make your own chicken stock. No food additive, no artificial seasoning, no MSG, none whatsoever, only healthier and delicious too.

All you have to do is boil a full pan of water and bones of a whole chicken. You can get the bones at pasar malam at RM1.50 only. Cheap eh? You can either boil chicken bones only, or put in any vegetables available in your fridge to add in the flavor. I usually put in a stick of celery and a stick of carrot, without dicing them, because I can reuse the celery and carrot for other cooking.

You can also make fish stock by boiling fish head and bones.

Stock is also recommended to substitute salt in your cooking, especially if you are preparing home-cooked meal for your babies and toddlers.

By using stock, you will be able to minimize salt intake into your body, as too much of salt is hazardous to your general well being. Other than that, excessive salt will not do justice to your belly, as it causes water retention in your stomach and the results? Hideous pot belly.