First Look: The Lee Bros. Charleston Cookbook

The latest cookbook from the Lee Brothers — that is Matt and Ted — will make you almost heart-breakingly jealous of anyone who lives in Charleston, South Carolina. The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen, out February 25 from Clarkson Potter (pre-order on Amazon), covers the foods of Charleston from the point of view of its chefs, its home cooks, and its culinary legends. Never fear, though: even if you don't have access to "a single bushel [that] might hold three hundred oysters but cost[s] less than thirty dollars," the flavors of Charleston are still within reach.

Of particular interest is the chapter on Drinks, which has recipes for Loquat Manhattans, Summer Peach Coolers, and Kumquat-Chile Bloody Marys that beg to be drunk on a muggy afternoon whether or not you have access to a proper Southern veranda. Sections on vegetables and seafood are also ripe with fantastic ideas, particularly should you be cooking for a larger group. Whole Flounder Stuffed With Sunchokes and Shrimp? Yes, please.

As a bonus, the book contains a section on both driving and walking tours of places mentioned in the book (although several are private residences, so don't go knocking). Special thanks to Clarkson Potter for bucking the trend of super-matte photography that can make gorgeous food look flat and even blurry; may this be what's in for cookbooks in 2013. Below, a peek inside the covers of The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen.

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