The Zest

Earlier this season, we heard from Adrian Miller . Nicknamed the Soul Food Scholar, the Denver-based researcher has written several books on African-American culinary traditions, including Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue and The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas. His f...

With the weather heating up and summer vacation so close we can almost taste it, let’s head to the beach for a sit-down with Chef Indrajit Suryawanshi . As executive chef of JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa , he oversees the resort’s main restaurants , Latitude 28° and The Deep End. Chef Inder, as he’s known, grew up in Kundal, India. He learned to cook by watching his mom make dishes...

In his 56 years, Ian Beckles has worn a lot of hats—and eaten a lot of good meals. In his profile on X, formerly Twitter, Ian describes himself as a “ Former NFL Player & Entrepreneur Ambassador of all things Tasty in TB.” And that’s a pretty good way to sum it up. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer has his hand in a little bit of everything, including radio, podcasting, deejaying, magazine publis...

This is a man’s world—or at least, a man’s kitchen. More than three-quarters of head chefs in U.S. restaurants are men, according to the Census Bureau . But Olivia Gielser has forged her own path in the male-dominated space. Olivia is executive chef of The Pearl , part of downtown Tampa’s swanky new Water Street dining district. The gastropub opened in 2023, and it’s already earned a nod from Mich...

Food writer sounds like a dream job. And for Lauren Jackson , in many ways it is. As Eat & Drink Editor for Sarasota Magazine , Lauren spends her days marrying her culinary background with her passion for writing. But being a food writer is about more than enjoying free dinners on the company dime. Lauren recently joined Dalia in The Zest’s studio at WUSF for a conversation about what the job...

To get a gallon of the freshest olive oil, you could grab your passport, pack a suitcase and fly more than 5,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from the Sunshine State to Tuscany. Or you could drive to Brooksville—as in, Brooksville, Florida. The quiet Hernando County town is prized for its bike trails and camping sites. Brooksville is also home to The Olive Grove —yes, that’s the official name....

The transition from high school to college can come with a steep learning curve. For many students, it’s their first time juggling classes, laundry, roommates, a social life and all the rest without the help of Mom and Dad. The changes can be particularly challenging for young adults with special needs. So in 2020, the University of South Florida established UMatter . It’s a program that gives ext...

The New Testament Book of Matthew says, “Man does not live by bread alone.” But ask Nana Bonsu-Hammond, and she’ll tell you that without bread, she wouldn’t be the independent businesswoman she is today. Nana is the owner and executive chef of Jax Bread Co. It’s a bakery and cafe on Jacksonville’s Southside. Nana recently chatted with Dalia about the bread here in the United States versus overseas...

This week, we’re heading into the backyard of Ginain Grayes. The busy wife and mother shares family-friendly recipes on her website, CookPraySlay , and she hosts the podcast Cook the Garden . (Dalia was a guest on the 3/19/24 episode .) Dalia visited Ginain at her home in Riverview for a tour of her garden and a chat at the kitchen table. In this conversation, Ginain shares how her native country...

You might have heard that Dalia wrote a cookbook. It’s called The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook, and it’s out today. It’s available through University Press of Florida , Amazon , Barnes & Noble and other booksellers. Dalia was recently a guest on Florida Matters , where she chatted with host Matthew Peddie about The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook and the latest season of The Zest. They also discuss...

This week, we’re chatting with foodie podcaster and author extraordinaire, Dan Pashman. Dan is the two-time James Beard and Webby Award-winning creator and host of The Sporkful , which he started way back in 2010, before many of us had even heard of a podcast. The Sporkful is still going strong, and Dan is just getting started. In 2021 Dan released cascatelli , a new pasta shape that he invented....

Today we’re getting to know the hosts of another food podcast we think you’ll enjoy: Florida Foodie . The show is produced by Orlando’s CBS affiliate, News 6 WKMG, and hosted by news anchor Lisa Bell and meteorologist/anchor Candace Campos. The ladies chatted with Dalia about Central Florida’s changing culinary landscape and their favorite places to eat. Related episodes: Chef Art Smith Talks Poli...

Cuba may be only 90 miles from Florida, but for Brenda Popritkin, the food experience has been night and day. After spending her early childhood on the island eating rationed eggs and rice, young Brenda moved to South Florida, where she discovered an abundance of steak, pastries and coffee windows. Now as an adult, Brenda is the brains behind The Whet Palette . It’s a blog and podcast covering foo...

This week we’re wrapping up our Couples in the Kitchen series with Darren and Danessa Domingo. The couple are the influencers behind the popular Instagram handle Food People Luv , in which they explore Tampa Bay’s diverse cultural cuisines. Darren’s family is Filipino, and Danessa’s is Haitian. In this conversation, they discuss the foods they grew up eating, how a mission trip led to love and the...

Pre-order Dalia's first cookbook, The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook ! This week, we’re continuing our Couples in the Kitchen series with the pair who inspired the series. By day, Bryce Hudson is an artist and his husband, Ryan Ahmann , is a real estate agent. But at dinnertime, the couple turn into gourmet chefs, spending hours cooking together and posting the mouthwatering photos on social media. D...

This week, we’re continuing our Couples in the Kitchen series with the ultimate foodie couple. Melissa Santell is a well-known Tampa food photographer, culinary marketing consultant and host of the podcast Sunday Sauce . Her boyfriend, Bryce Bonsack, is chef/owner of the Michelin-starred Rocca Italian Restaurant in Tampa Heights. Dalia sat down with Melissa and Bryce in their living room to learn...

This week, we’re continuing our Couples in the Kitchen series with a pair who both make their living in the food business. Stephanie Swanz is the founder of Empamamas inside Tampa’s Armature Works food hall. Her fiance, Felix “Bubba” Flores, is the founder of Wicked Oak Barbecue . Dalia sat down with the power couple at their Tampa office, from which they run their culinary empire. Stephanie and B...

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we’re kicking off a series we’re calling Couples in the Kitchen. Each week this month, we’ll introduce you to a Florida foodie couple you oughta know. You’ll meet folks from the food world who are dating, married or engaged, from influencers to home cooks to professional chefs. First up: The Zest’s own Alexandria Ebron. As brand manager for the podcast , Alex hand...

This week, we’re digging into the roots of soul food with Adrian Miller , better known as the Soul Food Scholar. After a career at the White House, the trained attorney set his sights on researching African-American culinary traditions. Adrian is the author of several books on the subject, including Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue and The President’s Kitchen Cabine...

A generation ago, eating out was a special treat. But these days, Americans eat and drink a third of our calories away from home, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration . Splurging on foods laden with calories, fat, salt and sugar once in a while isn’t so bad. But doing so day after day can take a toll, says Shari Bresin, family and consumer sciences agent at the UF/IFAS Pasco County E...

Today, we’re getting dinner inspiration from Johnathan Rodriguez. He’s the executive chef and food and beverage director for the dual-branded Aloft and Element Hotel in Tampa’s Midtown shopping and dining district. Dalia met up with Chef Johnathan at Sal y Mar , the hotel’s rooftop restaurant and bar. In this conversation, he shares advice for coming up with new dinner ideas, how growing up in New...

A trip to Disney World will cost you upwards of $100 per person, per day—and that’s before you’ve eaten a single bite. But with some expert knowledge, you can eat like a king—or perhaps, a Disney princess—and still have money left over for a pair of Mickey ears. This week we’re chatting with Kristi Rada and Danae Allison, two of the co-hosts of the Happiest Plate on Earth podcast. Kristi is a Disn...

Today we’ll hear from someone who’s usually behind the scenes: Alexandria Ebron . As brand manager for The Zest, Alex handles the website and social media, among other things. We’ll listen in on Alex’s conversation with her grandmother Marva Jones, who lives in Orlando. They talk about Marva’s childhood food memories and what she likes to cook now for the holidays. We hope this conversation inspir...

While we’re cooking up new episodes of The Zest, we’d like to tell you about another podcast we think you’ll enjoy: Under the Influencer . It’s hosted by a brother sister-duo who are familiar names in the Tampa Bay area. Samantha Blowers, better known as St. Pete Sam, is a radio host on Magic 94.9 FM and 97X. Her brother, Max Blowers, is beverage director at Good Intentions, a popular vegan restau...

While we’re on our holiday hiatus, we wanted to let you know about another podcast we think you’ll enjoy. It’s called Tampa’s Table . The podcast is produced by Visit Tampa Bay and hosted by Jeff Houck, who is a repeat Zest guest and co-author of The Cuban Sandwich: A History in Layers . The podcast is a companion to the Tampa’s Table Cookbook, which is now out in Vol. 2.  Be sure to follow The Z...