The Zest

Before they opened their renowned and upscale Bern’s Steak House in 1956, Gert and Bern Laxer dreamed about having an ice cream shop. More than a half-century later, the couple’s vision has come to life. We take you on a visit to Little Midway. Then, we get a little taste of Spain at the Dali Museum's cafe. Support for The Zest Podcast comes from Seitenbacher Brand Natural Foods, like Muesli cerea...

When Natalia Lima went vegan eight years ago, she assumed she was destined for a lifetime of dull desserts. But soon, the St. Petersburg baker learned to whip up her favorite confections—minus the animal products. She now sells them at her Curious Cat Bakery. Natalia is even veganizing recipes featured on The Great British Baking Show and posting the delicious results on Instagram. Her version of...

When it comes to the threats to honey bees, environmental activists say pesticides are public enemy number one. But scientists say...it's complicated. Our special honey bee reporting project continues with a look at the many dangers faced by honey bees. Plus -- this pitmaster champ and food show veteran brings her star power to Tampa. We meet Lee Ann Whippen of the Deviled Pig restaurant.   Suppor...

This week, our honey bee reporting collaboration with WUSF News has us tasting the honey-based alcoholic beverage, mead! The brewer says it's about the most ‘local’ thing you can drink. And speaking of local foods, host Robin Sussingham talks to a Native American chef who says we should be able to identify, and cook with, all those indigenous plants growing right outside our kitchen door. Just don...

We're continuing our special reporting collaboration on honey bees with WUSF news. This week we head to Lakeland's Born and Bread Bakehouse to try some honey-based pastries, and take a tour of an apiary at Florida Bee Farm in Clearwater. Support for The Zest Podcast comes from Seitenbacher Brand Natural Foods, like Muesli cereals, oils, oatmeal, energy bars, gluten free fruit gummies for the kids,...

Honey bees are in the national zeitgeist. They're a necessary part of our food supply, and they are under a lot of stress. In a special reporting collaboration between The Zest and WUSF Public Media news, for the next several weeks we're going to be taking a closer look at Florida's honey bees. Honey bees are in the news a lot. But the news is mixed. It's hard to know how they're doing, exactly. T...

We're taking a tour of the Tambuzzo Sausage Company!  The family-owned enterprise has long provided housemade sausage to some of Tampa Bay’s most popular restaurants. And now its Tampa cafe, The Boozy Pig, serves up cut-to-order meats, bacons and sausages alongside sandwiches and other prepared foods. Go behind the scenes with Andrew Tambuzzo to learn how the sausage is made… literally.   Support...

There’s something cooking in Key West, and we’re not just talking about the key lime pie! We’ll hear from the author of some murder mysteries for foodies. Plus, the executive chef of Tampa's Oxford Exchange restaurant tells us how to celebrate fall foods while it’s still hot outside. It might be 95 degrees, but it's almost fall, ya'll!   Support for The Zest Podcast comes from Seitenbacher Brand N...

Fall is almost here, but as usual, Florida didn’t get the memo. As the Sunshine State continues living up to its name, we’ve got ideas to get you through the seemingly endless heatwave, when you really don’t feel like cooking: Chef Tenney Flynn's smoked fish dip, Florida blogger Danielle Rose's easy mango ice cream and colorful mocktails from entertaining expert Krayl Funch. This week --- simple r...

Let's talk about some real Florida food!  We’ll learn to make the Columbia Restaurant's signature 1905 Salad, which was actually invented in the 1940s. Then, fast-forward to 1961, when the Junior League of Tampa debuted its Gasparilla Cookbook , which included its prize-winning Florida Orange Grove Pie. And, we’ve got a conversation with celebrity chef Lazarus Lynch, who’s spreading the word about...

August is nearly over, but there’s still time to plan one last end-of-summer blowout bash. Today, we get barbecue advice from barbecue Hall-Of-Famer Ray Lampe, a.k.a. Dr. BBQ. And what’s for dessert? Our contributor Janet Keeler offers ideas from the cookbook Food 52 Genius Desserts . We’re talking meats and sweets on The Zest!  

We’re talking to some of Tampa Bay’s favorite food personalities. Meet Helen Freund, the new restaurant critic for the Tampa Bay Times . Plus, blogger and social media sensation Isabel Laessig, a.k.a. Family Foodie, talks about her #SundaySupper movement, and offers advice for bringing the family together over a meal.

It’s been a South Florida icon since 1959. We’ll visit the legendary Robert Is Here fruit stand in Homestead. Plus: nice catch! Dive into the rules and recipes of Florida’s spiny lobster season.

We're taking Florida wines seriously! It might be one of the state's best kept secrets, but Florida wine-making is a billion dollar industry. There are dozens of wineries across the state, employing nearly a hundred thousand people, and Florida university research departments dedicated to viticulture. How can this hot, humid , fungus-friendly state support successful wine production? The Zest host...

This week -- summer in Florida means our choice of local produce is getting kind of thin.  We talk to the executive chef of Tampa’s Oxford Exchange and get his ideas on using summer fruits and veggies. Plus, we have a fascinating discussion with a philosophical mango expert, who explains why Floridians are enchanted with the fruit.

Edna Lewis helped define refined southern cooking for generations, and her cookbook from the 1970s,  The Taste of Country Cooking, is considered an American classic. We talk about one of her newly reissued cookbooks -- and her legacy. Plus, you've been invited to dinner, but you can't show up empty handed. We've got some ideas for food gifts that anybody would love.

This week, we’re indulging in some of our favorites. We’ll hear baking tips from the author of Sister Pie , we’ll learn about the history of Tampa’s love affair with café con leche, and to cool off in these relentlessly hot days of summer, we’ll taste Tampa Bay’s craft beer scene. Sweets, suds and a jolt of caffeine, this week on The Zest.

She's a James Beard Award winner, protégé of Emeril Lagasse and the culinary innovator behind one of Tampa’s most talked-about new restaurants. Today on The Zest, a conversation with Chef Anne Kearney.

Jenna Bell, a dietitian and triathlete with a PhD in exercise physiology, offers a primer on how to improve your gut microbiome, and why it even matters. Fermented drinks like kefir and kombucha are all the rage, and foods like yogurt, kimchi and sauerkraut are earning serious respect. In a conversation with host Robin Sussingham, Jenna explains the difference between pre- and probiotics, weighs i...

What’s the future of food? One prominent food writer says we’re heading to a time when we start seeing robots in the farm field and in the kitchen. A longtime wheat farmer says our future is our past...in the form of ancient grain.  Also coming up on today’s show, for a Florida Fourth of July, our all-American food isn’t apple pie -- it’s the Cuban sandwich! We’ll find out how it’s done at The Col...

This week, we’re living the sweet life. We’ll visit with the Junior League of Tampa to test out a peach cobbler recipe from The Gasparilla Cookbook . We’ll chat with the authors of The New Pie about ideas for updating the classic dessert. And edible cookie dough arrives in Tampa!

Barbecue season is in full swing, and we've got a fresh take on cooking with fire. Whether you're looking for a classic steak or an exciting vegetable dish,  Chef Josiah Citrin is here to help you step up your grill game. Then, to wash it all down, our mixology lesson at Tampa’s Epicurean Hotel is sure to put you in good spirits. Happy Father's Day!  It’s bourbon and barbecue, this week on The Zes...

Bern's Chef de Cuisine, Habteab "Hab" Hamde, guides us through the labyrinth that makes up the classic Tampa restaurant's back-of-house operation, from the massive kitchen to the pastry department -- and of course, the grill! Chef Hab even reveals his secret to grilling a great steak at home.

"Locally-grown” and “sustainable” are more than just catch phrases for our guests. Restaurateur Ed Chiles finds delicious uses for one of Florida’s invasive species, and Emmanuel Roux turned a vacant city lot into a productive—and educational—urban farm. We’ll also check in with Tampa’s new mayor, Jane Castor, to get the dish on her favorite local restaurants.

Jamal Wilson is the force behind the first food hall in Tampa, The Hall on Franklin, and he tells producer Dalia Colon that he was determined to do it differently. Plus, The Hall on Franklin is in an historic building, and the Tampa Bay History Center's Rodney Kite Powell  talks to host Robin Sussingham about how those spaces with a backstory can affect the whole eating experience. Also on the pod...