Crescent Dragonwagon is the author of more than fifty books across five different genres. A workshop leader, speaker, and former innkeeper and restaurateur, she is also cofounder of the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow. She lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Find more recipes and goings-on at dragonwagon.com, where you can subscribe to Dragonwagon’s blogs, Nothing Is Wasted on the Writer and Deep Feast.

“This reissue of the iconic, thirty-year-old Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread is a boon to a new generation of cooks and readers. Dragonwagon is a magical author: not only do her recipes sing with flavor; her storytelling enlivens every single page. Soup and bread in her capable hands create all the right magic for the body and soul.” —Raghavan Iyer, author of 660 Curries “I love the food, the stories, and the passion so apparent in Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread. My only regret is that I didn’t discover the book when it first came out. I have no doubt that I’d be a better cook and host if I’d grown up with a copy, but now I am happily making up for lost time. This is a terrific book.”—Steve Sando, founder of Rancho Gordo“One of my all-time favorite cookbooks. Crescent’s wit and wisdom shine through, and the recipes are as timely and delicious today as they were when I first cooked them.”—Nathalie Dupree, coauthor of Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking“Brilliant in its simplicity. A prime example of what a talented cook can do given a firm sense of place and a feel for its products.”—Village Voice“Crescent Dragonwagon is the Alice Waters of the Ozarks . . . turning out a nightly stream of creations wherein the best of country and city converge.”—House Beautiful

• Introduction: Welcome to Dairy Hollow HouseCome on in, we’ve been expecting you.Stocks—The FoundationBefore there’s great soup, there’s great stock. Some take little time, others are slow-cooking.Chicken Stocks • Fish Stocks • Vegetable StockFillips, Flourishes, and Fine PointsThose little touches that can make an ordinary soup sensational.Before-the-Soup Fillips • After-the-Soup Fillips • Contemporary Colorations—Part Garnish, Part Zap • Delicious Dairy Dabs That Make a Difference • Delicious Low-Fat Dairy Dabs • A Few Notes on Cooking from This BookChicken Soups to Crow OverA dozen favorites, from comforting to supreme-plus one fabulous duck soup for fall.EntrÉe-Style Hearty Chicken Soups • Lighter Chicken SoupsFine Fish Soups—From Creek and LakeChowders, Cioppinos, and Stews—some pure Ozark, others classics with an Arkansawyer twist. All fresh and savory.Vegetable Soups for Market-DayNothing inspires soup-making more than garden-fresh vegetables brought or picked at the peak of perfection.Artichokes • Avocados • Beets • Broccoli • Cabbage • Carrots • Celery • Fennel • Garlic • Greens • Green Beans • Mushrooms • Onions • Green Peas • Potatoes • Pumpkins • Radishes • Tomatoes • ZucchiniThe Soup—The Solution to dietingA delicious, low-fat soup with unlimited variations.The Soup • How to Make the Soup: Basic Themes and Variations • Ethnic Themes and VariationsHot, Hearty Bean Soups—Luscious, Lusty LegumesFragrant and filling, warm-you-right-up bean soups make for particularly good dining on crisp, cool, days.Black Beans • Black-Eyed Peas • Chick-Peas (Garbanzos) • Cranberry Beans • Great Northern Beans • Kidney Beans • Lentils • Lima Beans • Navy Beans • Peas • Pinto Beans • Red Beans • Split PeasGumbo Zeb—History in a Bowl and MoreA legendary Southern bowlful that packs a wallop.Gumbo Zep Base • Completing the Gumbo Zeb BaseDelectable Dairy Soups from Dairy HollowCream, milk, or buttermilk; yogurt or cheese. These gentle, much-loved finishes add richness and elegance to many soups.Cream- and Milk-Based Soups • Yogurt- and Buttermilk-Based Soups • Cheese SoupsSweet Harvest Fruit SoupsThe sweetest seasonal bounty, from apples to watermelon, becomes mostly first-course soups that are sophisticated yet easy to prepare.Bananas • Blackberries • Blueberries • Cherries • Cranberries • Melon • Oranges • Peaches and Nectarines • StrawberriesNut Soups—From Soup to…Rich and creamy and perfect starters for special-occasion meals.Loaves, Muffins, and MoreAt Dairy Hollow House our overflowing breadbasket is filled with a wild assortment, from local Skillet-Sizzled Cornbread, the Ozark classic, to imported Scotch Baps, which followed an unusual route from Inverness to us.Yeast Breads • Rolls • Quick Breads • Biscuits • MuffinsSalad—The Green PaletteThe third in the magnificent triumvirate—original salads that add refreshing color and texture.Composed Salads • Grain-Based SaladsIndex