In the last several weeks I've been experimenting a bit with the soup stocks I make, adding some dried peppers to the stock vegetables. The results, of course, vary with the type of pod but it's interesting to see how some of the larger and darker choices - like ancho - can turn the liquid a deep brownish red. I'm not used to seeing stock that dark in something like a white bean soup, but it's a killer secret ingredient in a batch of pinto beans. - A