The Lee Bros. Southern Cook Book by Matt and Ted Lee

What People Are Saying

   "Can the words FRESH and SOUTHERN be in the same sentence when talking about food? You bet. This Lee Bros. book is good enough to eat."
- Amy Sedaris, author of I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence      "The charming Lee Brothers cook delicious, real food that's alive with flavor. How wonderful to be invited into their Southern kitchen!"
- Alice Waters, author of The Art of Simple Food, among others, and co-owner, Chez Panisse      "With Simple Fresh Southern, the Lee Bros. give us a southern cuisine fit for the twenty-first century. Matt and Ted offer the home cook recipes that are lighter, more flavorful, and simpler to execute, while still holding tight to their southern soul."
- Tom Colicchio, host of Top Chef, and author of Think Like a Chef      "These two boys are not only great cooks, I consider them the modern-day Lewis and Clark of southern cuisine."
- Paula Deen, owner of Lady and Sons, and author of The Deen Family Cookbook and It Ain't All About the Cookin'      "The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern has me eyeing stalwarts of the southern kitchen like field peas and sweet potatoes with renewed enthusiasm. The brothers combine their ingenuity and quirky charm with clever techniques and a modern aesthetic to create an inspiring fresh take on southern cuisine."
- Martha Hall Foose, author of Screen Doors and Sweet Tea      "The Lee Bros. have written THE classic Southern cookbook. They write with flair, brilliance, and hilarious commentary on the recipes, customs, and eccentricities of the South they celebrate with such passion. Their recipes are so good that I believe cookbook writers like the Lee Bros. may turn Southern cooking into an actual cuisine!"
- Pat Conroy, author of The Prince of Tides       "I am a big fan of that particular brand of Southern poetry and smarts that make up the Lee Bros.' contributions - the best food pieces I read in the Wednesday New York Times each week-so I attacked Ted and Matt's new book like a hungry wolf. I found the same genius and eye for a good story, as well as simple-to-make recipes of the new exotic cooking of the American South. These recipes make my mouth water, and the prose makes my eyes well up for its beauty, simplicity, and truth."
- Mario Batali, chef/owner Babbo restaurant      "The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook makes me daydream of a long ago summer on a Pawleys Island back porch, the aroma of the marsh and the dinner table mingling with laughter of many generations of families and a few too many glasses of wine. Oh to the magic of being at table together in the South."
- Frank Stitt, author of Frank Stitt's Southern Table; executive chef Highlands Bar and Grill      "The Lee Bros. conjure a world and invite us to share it. This book is a joyful, eccentric read, full of dishes that capture the low road and the high, the Frogmore Stew and the She-Crab Soup. It's a road map, a family story, a kind of hidden kitchen vision. Cook this book!"
- NPR's The Kitchen Sisters Davia Nelson & Nikki Silva      "These guys can cook! Just reading the recipes makes me ravenous for scintillating Southern dishes. Sign me up for Tuesday Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie!"
- Bobby Flay, chef/owner Mesa Grill, BOLO and Bar Americain      "From adamantly disclaiming the idiotic idea that the South could ever be hostile to vegetarians, to explaining why pork shoulder is the perfect (and most revealing) meal for the third date, the Lee Bros. give us a gem. The recipes are irresistible, but so is the pure Southern storytelling. This is a keeper."
- Lynne Rossetto Kasper, host of public radio's national food show "The Splendid Table"©, from American Public Media       "The wit and enthusiasm of the Lee Bros. is irresistible, as are the recipes--a mix of traditional Southern classics and unique, highly individual creations--which will have you reaching for you cast-iron (or stainless steel) skillet."
- Scott Peacock, author of The Gift of Southern Cooking; executive chef, Watershed Restaurant      "From adamantly disclaiming the idiotic idea that the South could ever be hostile to vegetarians, to explaining why pork shoulder is the perfect (and most revealing) meal for the third date, the Lee Bros. give us a gem. The recipes are irresistible, but so is the pure Southern storytelling. This is a keeper."
- John T. Edge, author of Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover's Companion to the South

What The Critics Are Saying

   "Only every little once in a while does a book come along that changes forever our relationship to American food the way The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook, by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, does. Bringing a fresh, contemporary sensibility to their re-evaluation of Southern food, this is writing from the heart: personal, informed and opinionated."
- Dorothy Kalins, Newsweek       "[The Lee Bros.'] writing has exactly the right touch; subtly encouraging, knowledgeable but not wonky, fun but not "Fun!" Their concern with authentic products is serious yet easygoing; the information and tips are passed along in prose so conversational that you don't even notice how much help you're getting along the way."
- Marisa Bowe, Bookforum      "With respect for the past and an enlightened, modern sensibility, the Lee brothers roll up their sleeves and get elbow-deep in Southern cooking in all its sugary, fried goodness.... their approach to the cuisine is steeped in research and never snobby. Many recipes are coded "quick knockout," meaning they use just a few ingredients and can be prepared relatively quickly (Fried Oysters, Shrimp Burgers). More involved recipes (Lady Baltimore Cake; Kentucky Burgoo) come with fascinating asides on their origins. Classy, matter-of-fact and welcoming, this volume deserves a permanent place on cooks' shelves by day and on bedside tables by night, as a browsable primer on a world and its food. Photos, line drawings."
- Publisher's Weekly, © Reed Business Information.      "The Lees wax nostalgic for old-time preparations that Lowcountry natives relish: innards-studded chicken bog and she-crab soup, as well as Junior League hostess favorites like tomato aspic. They also acknowledge the region's evolving ethnic landscape with dishes like cheese-grits chiles rellenos, and detour beyond Dixie altogether with recipes for peach sake and Harlem meat loaf... Whether you were born in the pluff mud or not, you'll find that [The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook] playfully renders the region's best foods."
- Shane Mitchell, Saveur       "Hefty enough to inspire the trust you accord a reference book...if what you're after is a competent, accessible, and heartfelt pan-Southern cookbook, seasoned with verve and affection, you can bet your jambalaya that this one's a keeper."
- T. Susan Chang, The Boston Globe       "The brothers offer constant encouragement and clearly written instructions from dishes that range from boiled peanuts to a two-layer red velvet cake that would make any Southern grandmother proud."
- Donna Pierce, The Chicago-Tribune, Top 12 Books of the Season      "A blissful immersion into the foods of the American South, from eastern Kentucky to the panhandle of Florida."
- Kirkus Reviews      "It would be difficult to imagine any more enthusiastic or winning advocates for Southern cooking than the Lee brothers... Their cookbook begins with a collection of drink recipes from sweet tea to potent planters' punch. To accompany these beverages, the Lee brothers array a long series of snack and party foods. A section on preserves and pickles documents some rarely seen regional treats such as Jerusalem artichoke relish. Meats, seafood, sweets, and breads round out the book. Every recipe has a story attached, and the large format makes easy reading.
- Mark Knoblauch, of Booklist      "Brimming with wonderful recipes, stories and photos... There's never been a better Southern cookbook to cook from."
- Marialisa Calta, of United Features Syndicate      "The brothers are good storytellers, and their cookbook is as entertaining as it is informative. Highly recommended."
- Library Journal, © 2006 Reed Business Information.