The Zest

She’s a familiar voice to thousands of us across West Central Florida. As the midday host for Tampa Bay’s NPR station, WUSF, Lisa Peakes keeps us company as we work, eat lunch, run errands, sit in the school carline or whatever else we happen to be doing in the afternoon.  Lisa reads the news, shares the weather report and tells us about local events, all in that friendly, soothing voice that’s be...

Earlier this month, The Splendid Table recorded a live episode all about Florida foods! Host Francis Lam and producer Erika Romero came to the New Tampa Performing Arts Center for an episode and meet-and-greet hosted by WUSF Public Media. If you're in West Central Florida, catch the broadcast on Sunday, June 29, 2025 at 2 p.m. on WUSF 89.7 FM . Or listen anywhere, anytime at splendidtable.org . Gu...

Juneteenth —June 19—commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It became a federal holiday in 2021, but early celebrations date back to the 1860s. Today, Americans observe Juneteenth with festivals, family and of course, food. So we invited influencer Kiva Williams, a.k.a. the Fun Foodie Mama , to share some of her favorite Juneteenth culinary traditions. In this conversation, the Wesle...

Orange juice is Florida’s official beverage. But you probably didn’t need us to tell you that. Ever since the Spanish introduced citrus to Florida in the late 15th century, orange juice has been synonymous with the Sunshine State. In fact, nearly all of Florida’s orange crop is used for juice. But how much OJ are people actually drinking these days? And how can growers combat citrus greening—a dis...

You know we love a good food-and-art crossover around here. (You may recall our conversation with Malaika Hollist of Arts Axis Florida.) So when we heard that Miami-based multidisciplinary artist Chris Friday had a food-related exhibition at the Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design, we wanted to learn more. (Not to mention, June is N ational Soul Food Month !) Where We Never G...

By Dalia Colón It’s one thing to cook food. But talking about food on the radio takes a lot more than knife skills. And Francis Lam does it so well. Lam is a food writer, cookbook editor and host of the popular public radio program The Splendid Table . On June 1, he’ll be at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center for a sold-out live taping of the show. Ahead of his visit to Florida, Francis chatted...

As we say every week, this podcast celebrates cuisine and community in the Sunshine State. A fun way to foster community is to host a plant and seed swap. Not only will you get to know your neighbors, but you’ll come away with seeds and cuttings for your edible garden. Hosting the event doesn’t have to be intimidating or time-consuming. Here to show us the ropes is Ginain Grayes, founder of Cook P...

Pizza fraud, fried mullet masquerading as a bird and produce used as weapons. For Craig Pittman , it’s all in a day’s work.  Craig is a journalist and author of several books about the quirky side of our state. His latest is Welcome to Florida —or, for short, WTF. He also co-hosts a podcast of the same name. Many of these stranger-than-fiction stories involve food, so we invited Craig on the pod t...

There’s no shortage of Cuban restaurants in Florida. But one stands out for its commitment to the history and culture of Cubans of African descent. At Soul de Cuba Cafe in Tampa’s Seminole Heights neighborhood, the decor includes dozens of framed family pictures—the ancestors of the restaurant’s founder and CEO, Jesús Puerto. On one wall, there’s a mural-size black-and-white photo from 1944 depict...

When it comes to baking cakes, most of us reach for the same ingredients—milk, eggs, butter… But Sira Garib says you can have all of the flavor with none of the animal products—good news for her customers, many of whom are vegan or have dairy allergies.  Sira is the founder and CEO of Pure Vegan Cakes , which specializes in custom plant-based cakes, cupcakes and cookies. Originally from South Flor...

She’s a podcast host, the child of immigrants and a self-described picky eater. Today we’re getting to know Malaika Hollist.  As brand manager of WUSF’s Arts Axis Florida , Malaika creates content to promote local artists and arts organizations. While she doesn’t call herself a foodie, Malaika recognizes commonalities between what she does at Arts Axis and what we do here at The Zest. Malaika sat...

Many Florida restaurants have received nods from some pretty prestigious organizations. At the same time, there’s a whole other culinary scene that’s equally popular—one that, sadly, will likely never be the radar of the prestigious Michelin Guide or James Beard Foundation. We’re talking about food served in convenience stores, gas stations and other mom-and-pop eateries. Maybe you’ve eaten some a...

Is Florida's new signature scent... vanilla? A few weeks ago here on the pod, Chef Justin Timineri of Fresh From Florida told us about some of his favorite trending agricultural products coming out of the Sunshine State. One in particular caught our attention: vanilla. You can almost smell it, can’t you? That warm, sweet, comforting scent that reminds you of baking chocolate chip cookies or lighti...

No fish story here. If you eat seafood, then Chef Steve Phelps wants you to know something—like, actually know something —about what you’re consuming. That striped bass at the grocery store seafood counter—where did it come from? The tuna melt you ordered for lunch from your favorite diner—how was that fish caught? Steve is co-owner and head chef of Indigenous . Since he opened the restaurant in 2...

Nice work, if you can get it. Today we’re catching up with friend of the pod Justin Timineri . As executive chef for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s Fresh From Florida program, he is the state’s official culinary ambassador. Sounds like a sweet gig, right? It is. But as you’ll hear, it’s also a lot of work. Dalia recently caught up with Chef Justin. In their conversati...

Today we’re getting to know dietitian Deanna Wolfe . But she needs no introduction if you’re among her hundreds of thousands of social media followers. On Instagram and TikTok, Deanna is an open book. She chronicles her journey recovering from an eating disorder, what she eats in a day as postpartum mom (including dessert every night!) and even her income, for the scores of other dietitians she me...

By Dalia Colón Spring is upon us, so it’s time to tackle all those projects we’ve been putting off. Maybe you need to organize the garage, file your taxes or flip your mattress. While you’re making that checklist, remember to prep for spring cooking—planting warm-weather vegetables, gearing up your grill and, yes, cleaning out the pantry. But resetting for spring doesn’t have to be intimidating. H...

At Solid Rock Community School in Tarpon Springs, every item that comes out of the cafeteria is 100 percent plant-based. Families can even order vegan to-go meals to take home and eat for dinner. That puts Solid Rock in a pretty small group of K-12 schools in the U.S. that are completely plant-based.  The idea for a plant-based cafeteria came from Solid Rock’s founder and executive director, Miche...

This week, we’re getting real about what we feed kids. Whether or not you have children of your own, we all have a role to play in helping the next generation make healthier choices. Dr. David Berger isn’t here to shame anyone. But as a pediatrician and the face of Wholistic Pediatrics & Family Care in Tampa, he sees every day how nutrition—or lack thereof—affects kids’ health and behavior.  D...

Prof. William Schanbacher, Ph. D., breaks it down.

If you've ever dreamed of hosting a food TV show, being a private chef or working in a high-end restaurant, then this conversation is for you—because today's guest has done all of that, plus a lot more, in his young career. Get to know Chef Terrell Manning . The St. Pete native has experience as a private chef, food TV host, restaurant co-owner, host of the roadshow America’s Best Restaurants and...

Super Bowl Sunday is a big day for football—and guacamole. But how much do you know about avocados—specifically the green variety, also called Florida avocados ? Today we’re doing a deep dive with Tom Siddons. He and his wife own Sleepy Lizard Avocado Farm in the Everglades, where they grow and ship avocados, mangos and other tropical fruits. Tom also hosts the popular Sleepy Lizard YouTube podcas...

Kiera Wright-Ruiz has an impressive resume: food writer with creds in The New York Times and Bon Appétit. Photographer for big-name brands including Taco Bell. Recipe developer for the Japan Times, The Kitchn and Food52. Picture book author. We could go on. But perhaps most impressive is the vulnerability Kiera displays in her latest work, My (Half) Latinx Kitchen . Part cookbook, part memoir, the...

This week on The Zest Podcast, revisit Dalia's conversation with Toni Tipton-Martin . The renowned food journalist won James Beard Awards for her books The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks and Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking. Martin also serves as editor-in-chief of the Cook’s Country magazine and television show. This conversation was record...

This season we're talking avocados, food sovereignty, Latinx identity and a whole lot more. New episodes are released on Thursdays. Listen wherever you're hearing this or at thezestpodcast.com .