11/15/07
Habitat supporters treated to tasty treasures
By Eric Goold

ERIC GOOLD/Manning Times

Ted Lee, front, and his brother Matt Lee, autograph their cookbook for patrons of the Habitat For Humanity luncheon. The Lee’s were the featured speakers at the annual event, which drew nearly 200 Habitat supporters to the Manning United Methodist Church.

The Lee Brothers were a big hit at the 9th annual Clarendon County Habitat For Humanity Luncheon.

The event, a yearly luncheon and fundraiser for the Clarendon HFH, issued 200 tickets and collected 190, so the reception hall at the Manning United Methodist Church was nearly full last Friday afternoon.

Matt and Ted Lee, brothers from Charleston, were the keynote speakers who presented delicious samples from their 600-page Southern Cookbook in a tasty luncheon.

“Nobody has given us a warmer welcome than Clarendon County,” said Ted Lee after signing a batch of cookbooks for fans. “Manning is just a short distance from Charleston, and we would love to come back. Maybe even before the end of the year. The weather is beautiful here.”

The Lee’s were excited to come to Manning to promote their cookbook, but more importantly, to contribute to a worthy cause.

“We’ve always felt a kind of cosmic connection to Habitat because of Jimmy Carter, who used to sell boiled peanuts, like us,” said Matt Lee. “We wanted to contribute in any way we could. We can’t work a staple gun, but we can speak and we can cook and maybe we can contribute this way. We were grateful for the chance to help.”

The Lee Brothers discussed the origin of their cookbook and talked about their personal histories, describing how they became cooks and writers. Meanwhile, the lunch guests ate a fabulous meal prepared by volunteers in the kitchen at the United Methodist Church.

“I have the greatest group of people helping me,” said Shea Failmezger, who oversaw the kitchen and cooked the lunch for 190 people. “The Lee’s joked with the crowd about how calm and cool I was, but I was able to be so because I got such fabulous help.”

Most of the kitchen personnel were volunteers from the United Methodist Church, and students from the culinary arts program at F.E. DuBose also helped prepare the menu. Members of the Manning High School FFA served the meal.

“This is the second year I’ve helped at the luncheon,” said Failmezger. “I think it’s a very worthy cause.”
Last year, Clarendon HFH dedicated its 13th and 14th houses, and the goal is to be able to build a house per year. Funds are being raised for that cause. Also, Clarendon HFH got a new executive director, Connie Robinson.

“I thought the luncheon was very successful,” said Robinson. “I think it worked out real well. I’ve only been on the job since August, and I can already see that the people of Clarendon County are very willing to support Habitat and to help support its cause. Everybody seems to be a willing volunteer.”

With the help of Failmezger and the kitchen staff, the Lee’s presented a menu with a fabulous chicken soup with orange and sweet potato dumplings. The entrée was a fried flounder with Granny Smith apple and green tomato pan gravy, served with lemon grits, succotash salad and a winter squash casserole. Cornbread muffins with sorghum butter, fig preserve and black walnut cake and the Lee Brothers’ Sweet Tea and Coffee completed the menu.

In an unofficial survey, all of the delights satisfied the crowd.

Failmezger’s favorite was the winter squash casserole, which she called, “Savory and surprising.” Robinson enjoyed the sweet potato dumplings in the soup, while this writer was unable to keep away from the Lee Brother’s signature item, the boiled peanuts that washed down so nicely with the Cheerwine Soda. Delicious!