Winter Fare : Despite its endless-summer image, Southern California provides its share of cool winter days perfectly suited for menus highlighting robust stews and soups.

The difference between a thick soup and stew can be difficult to distinguish, “except that in stew the solid food takes priority over the liquid part,” explains author L. Patrick Coyle in “The World Encyclopedia of Food” (Facts On File: 1982).

Exactly where the former ends and the latter begins, however, is rather subjective. So is classifying similar dishes such as ragout, cassoulet, goulash, cacciatora, chowder and chili.

Suffice it to say that the differences between these foods, many of which have been around since ancient times, sometimes become a bit blurred. What’s really important is that they make terrific winter meals accompanied simply by a salad and bread.

Hearty soups and stews owe their flavor to long, slow cooking with liquid in a covered pot. They’re not something you whip up at a moment’s notice, but since time rather than attention is required during cooking, these are good recipes to choose for days you plan to be around the house doing other projects.

Today’s recipes are all personal favorites of family and friends. Oxtail, bacon, turnips and lima beans add uniqueness to C. B.’s Oxtail Stew. Connie’s Sauerkraut Stew is a Slavonian recipe with an interesting combination of kraut and barley, flavored by pork and kielbasa. The dried mushrooms retain their definition and provide interesting texture.

The same Polish sausage is the key to B. B.’s Cabbage Kielbasa Soup, one of the less time consuming and easiest of today’s recipes. Joe’s Easy Fish Chowder is another time-saver, thanks to the convenience of canned foods and frozen fish. The recipe calls for trasher shark, but any firm-fleshed, boneless fish may be substituted.

K. G.’s Bean Soup is about as basic as you can get, but sometimes simple is best. On the other hand, coriander, ginger and lime set Kathleen’s Hearty Lentil Soup apart from basic soups made with these legumes.

Our annual camping trips wouldn’t be complete without a meal of Becky’s Camping Chili, coleslaw and tortillas. It’s a variation on a recipe from “The California Heritage Cookbook” published by the Junior League of Pasadena.

Los Angeles Times Food Styling by Minnie Bernardino and Donna Deane. Dutch oven from Kuhn Rikon

C. B.’S OXTAIL STEW

2 slices bacon, finely diced

2 oxtails, cut into pieces

1 pound stewing beef

1/2 cup flour

Salt, pepper

Dash ground ginger

Oil, optional

2 onions, sliced

6 cups beef broth, about

1 teaspoon bottled steak sauce

5 sprigs finely chopped parsley

1/2 cup tomato puree

3/4 cup diced carrots

3/4 cup diced turnips

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 pound button mushrooms

1/2 cup frozen lima beans

1/4 cup Sherry, about

1/2 cup frozen peas

Saute bacon in large stockpot until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside, leaving fat in pan.

Dredge meat in flour seasoned with to taste with salt and pepper and ginger. Brown small amount of meat at time in bacon fat, adding oil if necessary. Remove and set aside. Brown onions with last batch of meat.

Return all meat to pan along with bacon. Add enough beef broth to cover meat, then stir in steak sauce and parsley. Bring mixture to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Strain. Return liquid to stockpot and allow meat to cool enough to handle. Remove meat from oxtails and cut stewing beef into bite-size pieces. Return meat to stockpot, add tomato puree and reheat. Cover and simmer 1 to 2 hours, or until meat is tender.

Add carrots, turnips, celery, mushrooms and lima beans 20 minutes before end of cooking time. Continue to simmer 5 minutes, then stir in Sherry. Add peas 3 minutes before end of cooking time. Makes 4 servings.

CONNIE’S SAUERKRAUT STEW

4 quarts water

2 large smoked pork hocks

1 1/2 pounds pork spareribs, cut into 2-rib pieces

1 clove garlic

2 medium onions

1 pound kielbasa sausage, sliced

1 cup barley

1/4 pound dried mushrooms

2 pounds sauerkraut, drained

Place water, pork hocks, spareribs, garlic and onions in large stockpot. Cook until meat falls off bones, about 2 1/2 hours, skimming foam as needed. Strain, reserving stock and meat. Chill stock and remove fat that rises to top.

Return stock and meat to stockpot. Add sausage, barley, mushrooms and sauerkraut. Cook until barley is tender and stew thickens, adding additional water as needed. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

JOE’S EASY FISH CHOWDER

2 pounds frozen thresher shark

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth

2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans French onion soup

1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

1 large onion, sliced

3 medium zucchini, sliced

Salt, pepper

Granulated garlic

Cut frozen fish into chunks, removing any skin. Place in large stockpot.

Add chicken broth, onion soup, water chestnuts, tomatoes, onion, zucchini and season to taste with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until fish is cooked, about 30 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Note: Any firm, boneless fish may be substituted for thresher shark.

KATHLEEN’S HEARTY LENTIL SOUP

1 pound dried lentils

1/2 cup dried split peas

3/4 cup brown rice

1 ham bone

2 large onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, mashed

2 bay leaves

8 whole peppercorns

1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

3 teaspoons ground coriander

4 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper

3 tablespoons dry chicken soup base

10 cups water

1 pound Italian sausage

4 small limes, quartered

6 large carrots, peeled and sliced

5 stalks celery, sliced

Place lentils and peas in large stockpot. Cover with water and soak overnight.

Drain lentils and peas. Return to stockpot with rice, ham bone, onions, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander seeds, ground coriander, ginger, cumin seeds, lemon pepper, soup base and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour.

Partially cook sausage, then slice. Add to stockpot along with limes, carrots and celery. Simmer, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours or until lentils are tender.

Remove limes and ham bone and discard. Taste to adjust for seasonings and add more water if necessary. Let stand several hours to blend flavors. Reheat to serve. Makes 14 to 16 servings.

B. B.’S CABBAGE KIELBASA SOUP

1 (1-pound) package Polish kielbasa sausage

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 small green pepper, diced

2 large cloves garlic, slivered

2 large carrots, cut in 2-inch strips

1 large cabbage, cored and cut in large chunks

2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans chicken broth, about

Cut kielbasa into 1/2-inch slices and saute in butter until lightly golden. Add onion, green pepper and garlic and cook, stirring, until onion is transparent and tender, but not brown.

Stir in carrots and cabbage. Cover and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes or until cabbage is tender.

Add 2 cans chicken broth and 1 can water. Cover, reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add more chicken broth, if desired. Makes about 5 servings.

K. G.’S BEAN SOUP

1 (1-pound) package dried Great Northern or large white beans

1 ham bone or about 1-pound smoked ham hocks

Chopped onion

1 bay leaf

Salt, pepper

Place beans in stockpot with 3 quarts water. Bring to boil. Boil 2 minutes, then cover and remove from heat. Allow beans to soak 1 hour.

Add ham bone, 1 cup chopped onion and bay leaf. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 3 hours or until beans are very tender.

Remove bay leaf and ham bone. If desired, mash beans with potato masher. Cut meat from bone and return to stockpot. Thin soup, if desired, with water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with chopped onion. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Variation: 1 cup thinly sliced celery and 1 cup diced carrots may be added to soup during last hour of cooking, if desired.

BECKY’S CAMPING CHILI

4 medium tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups beer

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup oil, about

2 pounds round steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 pound lean pork, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup chili powder, or to taste

1 teaspoon cumin

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 cup shredded Jack cheese

Simmer tomatoes, beer, large onion, celery, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in covered medium saucepan 30 minutes. Remove cover and simmer another 30 minutes. Set aside.

Saute medium onion, green pepper and garlic in 1/4 cup oil in stockpot 3 to 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

Add meats to stockpot and brown over medium-high heat, adding more oil if necessary. Add flour, stirring well. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes.

Return vegetables to stockpot, add chili powder, cumin, bay leaves, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, brown sugar, oregano, vinegar and reserved tomato sauce. Cover and simmer 2 hours.

Add cheese and simmer, covered, additional 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Makes 6 servings.