The Zest

As we head into Mother’s Day weekend, our guest is Derek Shaffer. And before you get all “What does a dude know about what moms like?!,” You should know that Derek is a bartender at CW’s Gin Joint in downtown Tampa. He’s seen plenty of moms order drinks, and he’s observed some trends about what they like. In our conversation, Derek shares ideas for treating Mom to a cocktail or mocktail hour that...

If you're looking for some new snack ideas, you'll be glad that this week's guests are two family and consumer sciences agents from the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences . Kimberly Bragg-Armatrout is with UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County and Shari Bresin is with UF/IFAS Extension Pasco County . They’ve got lots of snack ideas to get us out of a rut, including...

The Florida State Fair will look a little different this year, due to the pandemic. But one thing remains the same: The food will be as over-the-top as ever. As usual, serving up your deep-fried favorites will be Jane Harris, better known as Mama Jane . She’s worked with The Best Around Concessions for more than 35 years. The Cape Coral-based company is owned by the McGrath family, and they have t...

Judi Gallagher has a passion for preserving her family’s hand-written recipes. The Sarasota chef says cooking and baking have been therapeutic during some of the most challenging times in her life, including a tough childhood with her father who suffered from mental illness, a contentious divorce and her adult son’s debilitating health condition. So for Judi, her family’s hand-written recipes are...

For some of us, eating halal food is about discovering our new favorite falafel cart. But for the nearly 2 billion Muslims around the world, halal food is a way of life. Regardless of which camp you fall into, the restaurant reviewer known as the Halal Food Guru wants you to have a place at the table.  The Orlando-based blogger and YouTuber chatted about which foods qualify as halal, his picks for...

Alcohol is a conduit for a lot of things. It can be a party starter. A truth serum. It could even be the road to a whole new career path. But for people of color , that road hasn’t been so smooth. Latiesha Cook wants to change this. Along with her husband, Dom, Latiesha runs Beer Kulture . It’s a nonprofit headquartered in St. Petersburg whose mission is to make the craft beverage industry more di...

When you picture a farm, what comes to mind? Acres of crops? Wide open spaces? Well, you’re about to meet a farmer who’s updating that image for the 21st century.  Shannon O’Malley is the co-founder and CEO of Brick Street Farms in St. Petersburg’s Warehouse Arts District. It’s a hydroponic farm that uses climate-controlled shipping containers to grow produce. In our conversation, Shannon shares w...

Here’s something you may not have learned in history class: The original Underground Railroad traveled from North to South. For reasons our guest will explain, during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Spanish Florida offered refuge to people fleeing enslavement from British colonies.  So what does this have to do with food? Well, the mingling of Spanish settlers, free Blacks and indigenous p...

If you want to get to Miami, you could head south on I-95. Or even faster—just go online and read the work of Carlos Frías . He’s the Miami Herald’s food and dining editor and a James Beard Award-winning winning writer. We'd argue that Carlos could also add “travel agent” to his resume, because his writing will transport you to Miami. He writes about the Magic City like only a South Floridian coul...

Ricky Ly is a civil engineer by day, a food blogger by night and a 24/7 encyclopedia of Central Florida restaurants. Ricky runs the popular Orlando-area food blog Tasty Chomps . He also wrote the book on Orlando restaurants—literally. His book, Food Lover’s Guide to Orlando , was published in 2013, and he’s eaten at hundreds more Central Florida restaurants since then. In our conversation, the Orl...

Bryon White is a self-professed “plant nerd.” Growing up in New Smyrna Beach on Florida’s east coast, he got curious about the grove of yaupon holly bushes across the street from his family’s home. So about a decade ago, Bryon did what any plant nerd would do: He turned to books. He learned that yaupon is native to the American Southeast, and that indigenous cultures have been brewing it for thous...

When you think of Florida foods, what comes to mind—maybe grouper sandwiches or key lime pie? What about the spices of Little Haiti or the Greek flavors of Tarpon Springs?  Chef Joe Isidori wants us to experience it all. The Michelin Star chef hails from the Bronx, New York, where practically every cuisine on the planet is just a subway stop away. Joe also gives props to Florida for its diverse cu...

Congratulations. You saw the title of this episode. You know it’s all about how to eat more vegetables. And you’re still here! We promise, it’s worth it.  Today we'll hear from two experts from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, better known as UF/IFAS . IFAS has county extension offices across the state, and they’re a great resource for growing and cooking he...

Dalia chats with Donnie Gallagher, founder of Florida Craft Beer Day and co-host of the podcast Craft Brews and Geek News . Donnie explains what makes Florida’s craft beer scene unique, offers advice for aspiring home brewers and shares why he believes the craft beer craze is just getting started. Then Dalia quizzes Donnie on ridiculous craft beer names to see if he can guess which ones are fake....

There’s no shortage of key lime pie joints in Key West—but we're pretty sure only Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe has been name-checked on Jeopardy! Dalia chats with the owner, Kermit Carpenter, about how he got into the business, what distinguishes his pies from the rest of the pack, what’s so special about key limes and his celebrity customers. If you liked our conversation with Kermit Carpent...

So, a guy walks into a wine bar. Actually, for a good chunk of 2020, no guys or gals were walking into any wine bars in Florida—unless it was to pick up a to-go order for drinking at home. Today, Judith Smelser will explain why this matters.  Judith is the founder of Orlando Wine Blog and the wine columnist for Edible Orlando . She also holds a Level 2 Certification from the Wine and Spirit Educat...

Zora Neale Hurston was born in 1891 near Montgomery, Alabama. But her name is practically synonymous with Eatonville, the African-American enclave in Central Florida that she considered home. Hurston wrote extensively about Southern Black life, both as an anthropologist and in her short stories, plays and novels like “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” One subject that appears in Hurston’s work again...

If you want to eat healthier in the new year, you’ve gotta eat more home-cooked meals. So says Wendy Wesley . She’s a registered and licensed dietitian and nutritionist in St. Petersburg. Wendy says the more efficient you are in the kitchen, the more likely you are to actually cook. She shares her list of 14 tips to help us do just that. If you enjoyed this conversation, then check out our previou...

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Earlier this year, the pandemic forced Walt Disney World to shut down for nearly four months. Since it reopened, many fans have been eager to return to the theme park—but not just for the rides and character photo ops. Wilma Norton has been visiting—and eating at Disney World regularly for more than 25 years. She also serves on planDisney —formerly the Disney Parks Moms Panel. Just before the shut...

St. Petersburg Distillery is launching a new product, Sunset Gin—which they say is a gin that’s very specific to Florida, and that’s completely natural. Sales are soaring at the distillery, and expansion plans are underway. In the upstairs tasting room, Robin met up with Skip Ragan, Senior Vice President for Sales, Marketing and Public Relations; Master Distiller Warren Gardner; and Assistant Dist...

Zest contributor Janet Keeler talks with author Tamara Lush about how her love of intrigue and her coffee obsession-inspired Grounds for Murder. It's the first book in her Coffee Lover's Mystery Series and will debut on Dec. 8, 2020.

Florida is one of the nation’s largest producers of honey and is a hub for beekeeping, both commercially and as a hobby. Robin Sussingham speaks with bee expert Dr. Jamie Ellis about the threats facing Florida's honey bees, why beekeeping is an increasingly popular hobby, how to spot fake honey and more. This conversation originally aired in 2019 and is part of a reporting collaboration between Th...

There may be a lot to dislike about 2020, but on the positive side,  lots of people have taken up gardening!  This includes The Zest’s producer, Dalia Colón, who’s had her share of gardening fails in the past. But she’s ready to give it another try, with advice from Robert Bowden. He’s the executive director of Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando. It’s a 50-acre botanical garden that's home to thousan...

How do you become an expert on Florida food? Heather McPherson spent decades as food editor at the Orlando Sentinel . She’s an author and editor of several cookbooks showcasing Florida’s seafood and produce; she’s the publicist for the famous Floridian Chef Art Smith ; and she lends her writing talent to the Florida Dairy Farmers, and to Edible Orlando magazine, among other venues. Plus, she’s an...