The Lee Brothers Keep Things Simple

by Heather Tyree, Posted Mar 8th 2010 @ 12:30PM

Heather Tyree

Matt and Ted Lee, longtime connoisseurs and champions of Southern cuisine, have maintained a strong bond to the local community in Charleston despite having long ago made New York City their home away from home. When they first left the Low Country to attend colleges in 1994, they so missed the flavors of the region that they founded The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue, an excellent source for mail ordering Southern staples wherever you might be. An illustrious career as freelance writers and cookbook authors followed and has brought greater national recognition of and respect for Southern food traditions, ingredients, and even novelties (Piggly Wiggly magnets, anyone?).

I was excited to make their acquaintance at the Celebrity Authors Reception, held in a beautiful private home and garden on LeGare St. here in Charleston on Saturday afternoon. As we snacked on bruschetta, fried ricotta, and phyllo crusts filled with creamy braised lamb (courtesy of Thomas Egerton at MUSE restaurant), Ted shed some light on why he believes his brother and he possess such unique insight to and appreciation for Low-country cuisine: "We grew up here, but we were not born here." The distinction may seem, on the surface, to be a splitting of hairs, but he went on to articulate that while those who were born into old Southern families often take their rich food and cultural heritage for granted, his brother and he developed a great respect for those same traditions and rituals experiencing, enjoying, and analyzing them always with just a hint of self-imposed distance and awe. Sometimes it takes an outsider, or two, to show you just what you've got going for you.

The brothers were on hand at this particular reception to rub elbows with guests, share local secrets and recommendations in a more intimate setting, and sign their latest book, Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor. A collection of fun, healthy, and, perhaps most importantly, easy takes on Southern favorites, the new book is full of helpful step-by-step instructions and clever advice on techniques. The beautiful, light-filled photos are sure to inspire and get you excited for slightly warmer weather and the opportunity to get outside, go shrimping (even if only at the local market!) and have friends over for Celery Juleps, Easy Shrimp Creole, and what just might be the beginnings of your very own food tradition.

Along with the Lees, guests had the opportunity to meet and mingle with a number of culinary masterminds responsible for long-cherished and best-selling cookbooks. Among them were Frank Stitt, Martha Hall Foose, Elizabeth Karmel, James Peterson, and Donald Link.

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