Growing up in Charleston, S.C., Matt and Ted Lee were weaned on a bounty of local fare. Lots of shrimp, crabs and oysters, as well as peas and beans and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
But foods from all over the Deep South found a way to their table.
"There are just so many Southern regions that it's hard to generalize about any specific area," Matt Lee says. "It's great to travel the South and see what a truly diverse food place it is."
The brothers captured that broad palate in their 2007 book, "The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook," which won numerous awards for its look at contemporary Southern cooking with traditional ingredients. They're back with a second book, "The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor" (Potter, $35).
The new title focuses more on the outstanding produce and seafood that the region produces for such dishes as Watermelon and Onion Pickles, Oyster Soup and Sweet Potato and Okra Fritters with Garlic Buttermilk Dip.
"Matt and I felt there were these misperceptions in the South, as well as the North, that Southern cooking is all unhealthy and that it takes a long time to cook," Ted Lee says. "We just felt that didn't reflect the reality of what we experienced day to day in Charleston."
Jeff Houck
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