Lessons in Chemistry premiered on Apple TV+ in the 2023 TV schedule as a very different spin on a cooking show. Starring Brie Larson as Elizabeth Zott, the show follows one chemist's attempts to establish herself in a field dominated by men in the 1950s, and finding an outlet in cooking and baking. For Elizabeth, food preparation isn't just following a recipe out of a cookbook, but creating her own scientifically-perfected recipes. While all fans may not be able to apply advanced chemistry to their kitchens, the show's food consultant has tips for any Apple TV+ subscribers who want to cook like Lessons in Chemistry's leading lady.
I spoke with food consultant Courtney McBroom for Apple TV+'s Lessons in Chemistry press event, and she shared what she found so inspiring about Brie Larson in the lead role of the Lessons in Chemistry cast. The first two episodes (available streaming now) alone introduce some of how Elizabeth Zott applies chemistry to cooking, and McBroom shared whether she tried out the recipes for the show:
Oh, yeah, I tried them out a lot. And we're putting some of the recipes out into the world so other people will be able to try them out as well.
The recipes in Lessons in Chemistry are real, and not just made up with words that sound right but wouldn't concoct a very tasty meal. In fact, the Lessons in Chemistry Recipes website provides several of Elizabeth Zott's – a.k.a. Courtney McBroom's – recipes for foods on the show, including The "Perfect" Lasagna and Christmas Chicken. As somebody whose chemistry knowledge consists of one involuntary semester in high school, I asked the food consultant if recipes will be doable for those of us who are not chemists like Elizabeth:
Yes, we adapted them for the home cook. [laughs] Definitely.
Of course, there is a different science to different areas of cooking that even those of us who are not chemists may know well. Cooking and baking present separate kinds of challenges (and kinds of disasters if you don't pay attention at particular moments). The food consultant shared her tips for home cooks inspired by Lessons in Chemistry and whether they should start experimenting more with cooking or with baking:
Great question. I think either or. I think if you're a person that loves to follow directions to a T, then baking might be the thing for you. If you're more of a loosey goosey, go with the flow type, then by all means go with just regular cooking.
As somebody who – unlike Elizabeth Zott – prefers a good recipe with directions to follow, I've always been more of a baker than a cook. When I noted that less improvisation works out for baking vs. cooking, Courtney McBroom responded:
I mean, there's always room for improvisation, but baking has a very much more strict set of rules often that can't be cheated.
All in all, Lessons in Chemistry inspiring viewers to cook can only be a good thing... so long as no kitchens are burned to a crisp in the process! There's also plenty of time. Showrunner Lee Eisenberg shared why a weekly release is better than binge-watching for Lessons in Chemistry, and I would add that the opportunity to try new recipes between episodes is another reason.
For an example from the show, check out the Lessons in Chemistry recipe for The "Perfect" Lasagna, adapted for those of us without advanced degrees in science:
Whether you want to try out cooking and baking more or not, you can keep watching Elizabeth Zott in action with new episodes of Lessons in Chemistry on Fridays at midnight EST. It remains to be seen if it will rank among the best Apple TV+ shows available on the streamer, alongside series including Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, Severance, and more.
