Recipes from “The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen”

Recipes from “The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen”

Henry’s Cheese Spread
Makes: 1½ cups, enough for 6 to 8 people for snacking

“Of all the elegant touches at Henry’s (restaurant), which survived until 1985, when the family sold it, our favorite was the iced crudite dish set down on every table at the start of the meal. The plate, a simple steel oval, cradled celery, radishes, green cocktail olives and an astonishingly good cheese spread.”

Ingredients

10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (3 cups)

2 ounces (¼ cup) lager or ale

Juice of 1 lemon (3 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, drained

2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Crystal

1½ teaspoons dry mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture is smooth and spreadable. Transfer to a small bowl to serve.

Syllabub With Rosemary-Glazed Figs

Serves: 4

For the syllabub:

½ cup Sercial Madeira or Amontillado sherry

Peel of ½ lemon

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1½ tablespoons sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

1 cup heavy cream, cold

For the rosemary-glazed figs

½ cup sugar

2 (3-inch) long sprigs rosemary

Pinch of kosher salt

4 ounces fresh figs (about 4 large), stemmed and quartered

Directions

Make the syllabub: Put all syllabub ingredients except for the cream into a large bowl, and whisk until the sugar has dissolved, about a minute. Let stand in the fridge, about 1 hour.

Make the rosemary-glazed figs: Heat the sugar and ¼ cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the rosemary and the salt, stir for about 30 seconds to dissolve the salt and bruise the rosemary, and turn off the heat. Cover and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Put the figs in a small bowl, drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the rosemary syrup over them, and toss gently to coat. (If the figs are less than ripe, let them stand in the syrup for 30 minutes to sweeten.) Reserve the remaining syrup for another use, such as sweetening lemonade.

Remove the lemon peel from the wine mixture. Pour the cream into the wine and whisk by hand until the cream is thick and holds its shape, about 2 minutes. Divide the syllabub among four wine glasses or sundae cups and spoon the rosemary-glazed figs over each serving.

Brothers book signings and more

Matt Lee and Ted Lee are beginning a number of book signings and other events for their new cookbook, “The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen” (Clarkson Potter, $35).

Saturday
5-5:45 p.m.: Cooking demo, “Floundering Around With the Lee Bros.”in the SCE&G Celebrity Kitchen, Culinary Village at the BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival. Included in Village ticket, $100. Book signing follows in the Heirloom Books tent.

Sunday
3-4 p.m.: Charleston Cooks! in-store book signing, 194 East Bay St.

March 7
4-5 p.m.: Book signing at the Coastal Cupboard, Belle Hall Shopping Center, Mount Pleasant

March 9
2-3 p.m. book signing, Mount Pleasant Barnes & Noble, Towne Centre

4-5 p.m. book signing, Costco, West Ashley

March 22
10:30 a.m. Lee Bros. multi-course luncheon with Blue Bicycle Books at Fleet Landing restaurant. $75, includes signed copy of book. www.bluebicyclebooks.com

5:30-7 p.m. Preservation Society reception and signing, 147 King St.

March 23
5 p.m. Panel discussion with Lees, Josephine Humphreys and Vereen Huguenin Coen at Charleston Library Society, 164 King St. $10 members; $15 others. 723-9912.

March 30
2 p.m.: Historic Charleston Foundation tour, Gardens, Galleries and Gourmets. The Lee brothers will be set up at the Dock Street Theatre garden, offering wine, a Summer Peach Sparkler and some classic Charleston nibbles as part of the tour. Tour ticket is $50. www.historiccharleston.org.

April 24
1-3 p.m.: Book signing at Indigo Books, Johns Island