Party Like the Lee Bros.

All recipes adapted from THE LEE BROS. CHARLESTON KITCHEN © 2013 by Matt Lee and Ted Lee. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc.

Make this rum-and-ginger drink ahead, if you like. Follow directions through Step 1; cover and chill up to 24 hours. Proceed with Step 2 when you're ready to serve.

• Recipe: The Hugo

The Lees turned the sweet benne wafer, a Lowcountry staple, into a crisp, one-bite cocktail snack. Benne, aka sesame seeds, can be found in bulk at health food stores.

• Recipe: Savory Benne Wafers

Use this recipe as a template for every season, substituting seasonal fruit such as plums, figs, or grapes for the berries. If your strawberries are large, cut them into eighths.

• Recipe: Romaine with Toasted Pecans and Pickled Strawberries

These ham-studded rice fritters are the Lowcountry version of Italian arancini.

• Recipe: Rice and Ham Croquettes with Tomato Sauce

Recipe: Smoked Egg Salad Toasts

Liven up egg salad with the distinctive Lowcountry flavor of smoke. (Think hardwood-roasted oysters and pulled pork barbecue.) Serve these also as an open-face afternoon sandwich.

Recipe: Pickled Shrimp with Fennel

Marinated, plump shrimp and crunchy sliced fennel make great passed hors d'oeuvres with toothpicks and an even better no-fuss cold salad.

Homemade marshmallows, especially these with a unique Southern flavor, are like nothing you've ever tried before. Brush or rub a 1-inch border of 1 tsp. vegetable oil around the top of saucepan to prevent sugar from boiling to the top.

• Recipe: Sorghum Marshmallows

We adapted this recipe to work in a 12- × 8-inch rectangular or 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom as well as a 9-inch pie plate. Serve with whipped cream for an extra touch of sweetness.

• Recipe: Grapefruit Chess Tart

There's an ease to assembling parties in Charleston that comes from the city's compact, walkable design and its social traditions," say authors and food personalities Matt Lee and Ted Lee. As the brothers spent formative years here, that social spirit rubbed off, shaping their culinary careers.

In their third cookbook, The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen, they bring this great city, its people, and its recipes to life. Get your copy now.