Agent Carter is coming back to ABC on Jan. 19, during the mid-season break for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. We couldn’t be more excited for Season Two, so we put together a party menu based on the series. These food and drink options should be great for inviting people over or enjoying the premiere by yourself. You know your value and you know you deserve to treat yourself to a delicious meal.
This is Supposed to Be a BLT?
A lot of Agent Carter takes place at the L&L Automat, the local diner where Peggy goes to grab a bite and commiserate with her best friend Angie. Automats rightfully died out with the rise of fast food, so children growing up today might never know the simple pleasures of a day-old sandwich taken out of a moldy vending machine. In the first episode, a local oaf berates Angie because the L&L does not make a BLT to his standards. If you really want to make an authentic Agent Carter BLT, of course, throw together the laziest sandwich you feel like making. Wait for your friends to complain and then stick a fork into their brachial artery.
If you want to make yourself a good BLT, there are simple things everyone needs to know. It is a sandwich that looks simple but so many places manage to screw it up. The most important thing is good mayonnaise, preferably homemade and not store-bought (it’s a huge difference). Mayo on a BLT is the difference between a great sandwich and a dry stodgy disappointment. You want thick-cut bacon, a crunchy lettuce like Iceberg, and fresh tomatoes. Toast your bread on a grill or under the broiler so the outside of the sandwich is crunchy but the inside is nice and soft. We would also like to suggest optionally adding some slices of avocado, or a drizzle of balsamic reduction if you have it.
Dinner at The Griffith
You gotta respect that nobody gets down with food like the girls living at The Griffith. We get a brief glimpse during episode four when Angie tries to teach Peggy how to steal rolls. The other girls don’t get a lot of screen time, but based on this brief scene, these are people I want to party with. This is Carol and the only thing we know about her is she once put an entire chicken inside her sweater.
WHAT? Why is the entire series not about this woman? I don’t even want to hear about Leviathan anymore, I have so many questions about Carol. Don’t act like just saying “special chicken pocket” explains this, Carol. I need details. What did you do with the chicken? Your room doesn’t have a refrigerator or a dining table! Carol, did you steal a chicken and then eat the entire thing alone in one sitting on your bed? I have a tremendous amount of respect for you, Carol.
Carol, move over, I have a new favorite person. What is going on with Lory? We know nothing about this woman except that she steals full cups of gravy so often she needed to sew a special compartment into her pocketbook. Take a second to look at the smug expression on her face; that is the happiest woman alive. My biggest question is what is she doing with all of that gravy? I can see her pocketbook right there and it is not that big. If you are putting a cup of gravy inside that thing, there is no way you are fitting anything else in there. How often does she do this? Lory, I want to know your entire life story and what choices lead you down this path.
Okay, this section got kind of off-track but what I’m saying is you could probably make a nice roast chicken recipe with some homemade gravy and that would probably be pretty close to what Peggy eats on a regular basis.
Bourbon & Tea
I knew I wanted to design a cocktail for Agent Carter and I had a lot of difficulty choosing ingredients. Alcohol has a big presence on Agent Carter, from Howard Stark and his martinis, to Angie and her schnapps, to Dum-Dum Dugan and his beloved bourbon. Gin would probably be what Peggy is most used to sipping back in England, and she spends most of the show drinking non-descript tea while everyone else around her is drinking coffee. Ultimately a lot of this show is about Peggy adapting to America, and she can toss back bourbon with the best of them.
The Hot Toddy is a criminally under-rated cocktail, especially in the colder months when it should really be more popular. It’s a great way to warm yourself up and clear your sinuses at the same time.
I’m calling this a “Hot Peggy” instead of a Hot Toddy because it’s made specifically with bourbon instead of the usual brandy or rum. You want to pick your choice of a good black tea, then steep it in boiling water with plenty of lemon and honey and anything else you care for. I personally like to add some fresh ginger; other people would recommend anise and cloves or even a cinnamon stick. A regular shot of any old bourbon you like will do. In the first episode after disarming a bomb, Peggy appears to be drinking Bulleit (based on the shape of the bottle, although it’s hard to tell). The Howling Commandos drink something called “Axel Grease” though so I’m sure they won’t judge you.
A Bottle of Schnapps and Half a Rhubarb Pie
If you’re only going to make one thing on this list, a bottle of schnapps and half a rhubarb pie has to be the #1 Agent Carter menu choice. The Angie Martinelli Special is an event that can only be shared between the closest of friends. At the very least, if you’re not best friends when you start trying this with someone, you will be by the time you’re done. I’m putting this last on the list because rhubarb pie is technically a dessert, but hey, I’m not here to tell you how to live your life. We all have struggles and we all have days where pie and alcohol are the solution to our problems, whether that’s a hard day at the Automat or getting shot at by Russian spies. I trust your judgment.
If you’re looking for another dessert recipe that’s not quite so difficult as making a pie, we have other options. Jarvis also mentions at one point that Howard Stark’s greatest weakness after women is raspberry truffles.
Would you like to be part of the Wikia team? Join our Fan Contributor Program and share your voice on Wikia.com!