Remember the children's story "Stone Soup"? Three weary, hungry travelers happen upon a village where - depending on the version - the villagers are either too poor or too mean-spirited to share any food. The travelers put a kettle over a fire in the town square, fill it with water and add a rock. When curiosity finally draws the villagers from their homes, the travelers announce that they are making stone soup. Little by little, the villagers, who decide that rock-flavored water won't make much of a soup, bring various ingredients: root vegetables, spices, milk and meat. In the end, a huge feast is held, and everyone realizes the value of sharing. The children's poem that developed from this story (source unknown) is virtually a recipe:

Heat some water in a pot. Add some stones you've scrubbed a lot.

Sprinkle pepper, salt and herbs. Let it boil undisturbed.

Drop in carrots, onions too. Let the soup heat through and through.

Stir in milk to make it sweet. Add potatoes for a treat.

Toss in meat cubes. Let it stew. Let it bubble. Let it brew.

Taste the soup and when it's done,

Share stone soup with everyone.

Now, in the spirit of "Stone Soup," San Francisco-based writer Leslie Jonath has asked chefs, cookbook authors and editors from around the country to share their recipes for the new book "Soup's On!" (Chronicle Books, 2007). In the spirit of sharing, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book go to Nextcourse, a nonprofit food and nutrition educational organization.

With cold weather coming on, now is the time to revive the lost art of making soup. If you start with some good stock (if you're not making your own, the organic broths sold in boxes in the supermarket are pretty darn good), you can let your imagination take over. The recipes below are from Jonath's book and from my own files. But here's a hint: Hold the stones.

SYLVIE'S STARS AND MOON SOUP

2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth (scant 4 cups)

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (or 1 cup shredded, cooked chicken)

2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

1/4 cup orecchietti pasta

1/2 cup elbow macaroni

1/2 cup mini pasta stars

1 cup frozen shelled edamame (raw soy beans, available, frozen, in most supermarkets)

8 green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

freshly ground black pepper

If starting with raw chicken, heat the broth in a saucepan until it almost boils. Trim any excess fat from the chicken breast and add the chicken to the broth; simmer until it is no longer pink when sliced in the middle, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow it to cool, then shred it. If you already have cooked chicken, just set it aside and heat the broth.

Add the carrots to the broth and bring to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook for 2 minutes. Add the macaroni and cook for 3 minutes more. Add the stars, edamame and green beans and cook for 4 minutes more. Add the chicken, cook until heated through, sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Recipe from Dana Cowin, editor, Food & Wine magazine, from "Soup's On!" by Leslie Jonath (Chronicle Books, 2007)

FALL MUSHROOM SOUP

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, peeled and diced

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced (see Cook's note)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup homemade beef stock or packaged broth

2 cups half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 bay leaf

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook's note: Use white button mushrooms or a combination of wild mushrooms such as porcini and chanterelles. A portion of cremini mushrooms (sold as "Baby Bellas") is also good.

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan set over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until brown. Stir in the flour, then slowly add the stock, stirring constantly.

Heat the half-and-half in a saucepan set over low heat (or heat it in the microwave). Do not boil. Add it to the mushrooms along with the nutmeg and bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer over low heat until the flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Do not boil. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe from Ruth Reichl, editor, Gourmet magazine, from "Soup's On!" by Leslie Jonath (Chronicle Books, 2007)

LAMB, BARLEY AND CARROT SOUP

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

2 lamb shanks

10 cups cold water

1 bay leaf

6 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 onions, peeled and sliced

2 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped

4 tablespoons ketchup or tomato paste

3/4 cup pearl barley (regular, not quick-cooking)

dried thyme

salt and pepper

handful fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Heat the oil until hot in a skillet set over medium-high heat, and add 2 cloves of the garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the lamb shanks and cook, turning, until browned on all sides. Set the skillet aside, remove the shanks and place them in a large pot with the water and bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for 2 hours. Remove the shanks from the pot and, when cool, cut any meat off the shanks, discarding any fat and the bones. Set the meat aside. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

Reheat the fat in the skillet, then add the remaining 2 cloves garlic, the carrots, onions and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the ketchup or tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Scrape the contents of the skillet into the broth, and add the meat and barley. Season with thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until the barley is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot, with a sprinkling of fresh parsley, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

EXTREMELY QUICK BLACK-BEAN SOUP

1 (16-ounce) jar salsa, medium, mild or hot according to your taste

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 (14.5-ounce) cans vegetable or chicken broth

1 (28-ounce can) whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved

2 cups frozen or canned corn kernels

1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, chopped (optional)

salt and pepper

For serving:

cider vinegar

chopped scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream, shredded Cheddar, Colby or Jack cheese, hot sauce (optional)

In a saucepan set over medium heat, combine all of the ingredients, reserving the juice from the tomatoes. Cover, reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers, and cook for at least 15 minutes and up to 30. If the soup seems too thick, add some of the reserved tomato juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Ladle into bowls, and pour a teaspoon of cider vinegar on each serving; this brings out the flavor. Serve as is or with desired toppings.

Note: If desired, add 1/2 pound cooked, sliced smoked sausage (such as kielbasa or chorizo) or 1/4 pound cooked, diced bacon to the soup and heat through before serving.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Marialisa Calta is the author of "Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family" (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.