Menu: Lessons in Chemistry
Elizabeth Zott is an amazing home cook and chemist. Her science-oriented style is reminiscent of chef-scientists like Harold McGee, Alton Brown, and Wylie Dufresne. She balances the art and science of cooking perfectly. On her show Supper at Six, she teaches her female audience how to make practical meals from mushrooms to steaks to desserts while slipping in a life lesson: don’t bow to societal pressure and take diet pills, take up rowing, use fresh ingredients. Now pass the sodium chloride. Time to cook, up and atom.
Drinks
Kick off your evening with a little liquid courage. A Tom Collins was a staple of 1950s American suburban households. Find the recipe and origin story at Liquor.
Appetizers
In one episode, Elizabeth teaches viewers about mushrooms and how tricky it can be to tell the poisonous ones from the safe ones. According to the book, that night the dish went mostly untouched by families everywhere. Since you actually like your guests, make these totally edible stuffed mushrooms from Love and Lemons. Sun-dried tomatoes and pecorino cheese give them a rich, savory flavor packed with umami.
Main
In another episode, Elizabeth compares a successful chicken pot pie to “a society that functions at a highly efficient level [like] Sweden. Here every vegetable has its place. No single bit of product demands to be more important than another.” Recreate your own version of Sweden with this highly-rated chicken pot pie recipe from All Recipes.
Dessert
Top off your Supper at Six-themed dinner with a dessert Elizabeth turns to when she needs to make everything better, brownies with walnuts. Try this version from the classic cookbook, The Joy of Cooking and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Be thankful for your book club friends, because just like in the lab, good reactions come from the right mix of people. You might need to hop on the erg after this calorie-rich dinner, but it’s totally worth it. Last cheesy chemistry joke: make like a proton and stay positive.
