The Zest

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How “Fab the Vegan” Dropped 150 Pounds, Reversed Diabetes & Became a Plant-Based Influencer Nov 07, 2024

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Fabricio Zambrano is one of the most dapper men you’ll ever meet. Perpetually dressed in fitted clothes and a panama hat, Fab looks, well, fabulous.

But he didn’t always dress like this. Because he didn’t always feel like this. For most of his life, Fabricio wore oversize T-shirts to hide his 5-8, 300-pound frame. He subsisted mostly on fast food and did not exercise.

But after Fab hit a life-threatening rock bottom, the Clearwater resident revamped his habits. He adopted a plant-based lifestyle, started exercising and eventually lost half his body weight. Today, the 61-year-old grandfather is known around Tampa Bay as Fab the Vegan. Through Facebook, Instagram and countless media appearances, he shares his journey and offers inspiration for anyone looking to make changes.

Dalia first met Fab when they both appeared on an episode of Bloom about plant-based eating. They recently reconnected for a conversation about Fab’s health journey, advice for changing one’s eating habits and how to deal with friends and family who oppose your new lifestyle.

Related episodes:

Bonus Episode: Dalia’s New Cookbook, “The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook” Is Out Now!

Eat Better, Feel Better: Simple Swaps from Carly Paige of FitLiving Eats

Natalia Lima Veganizes Recipes from The Great British Baking Show

Kahwa Coffee Owners Raphael & Sarah Perrier on Building Their Business, Beverage Trends and What They Really Think of Starbucks Oct 31, 2024

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By Dalia Colón

Whether you’re a coffee fiend or you’ve sworn off caffeine, you’re likely to find a beverage you’ll love at Kahwa Coffee. Headquartered in St. Petersburg, the boutique coffee company specializes in—what else?—java.

But since starting Kahwa, owners Raphael and Sarah Perrier have expanded Kawha’s offerings—and its footprint. Today there are 18 locations; that’s one for every year Kahwa has been in business.

Dalia visited the Perriers at Kahwa’s headquarters in St. Petersburg. (Even the parking lot smells like coffee!) In this conversation, Raphael and Sarah share how they went from meeting in a cafe to leading their family and a coffee empire together. They also discuss how they keep customers engaged while drinking the same beverage day after day, trends in the coffee industry that have staying power and what they really think of Starbucks.

To see a video tour of the Kahwa roastery, check out our Facebook or Instagram.

Related episodes:

Yaupon Brothers American Tea Co.

Low-Carb Florida Life with Dennis Perez of Black Tie Kitchen

Miami Herald’s Carlos Frías on Cuban Coffee, Edible Iguanas & Winning the James Beard Award

Donatello Owner Gino Tiozzo on the Restaurant's 40-Year Anniversary, How to Cook Better Italian Food at Home and What Happened When Rapper Drake Showed Up for Dinner on Short Notice Oct 24, 2024

Show notes

What do the rapper Drake, basketball player Magic Johnson and countless Floridians have in common? They've all enjoyed a meal at Donatello in Tampa.

The Italian restaurant was started in 1984 by the late Guido Tiozzo, a native of Venice, Italy. Today, Guido’s son Gino Tiozzo is at the helm, balancing classic Italian dishes with customers’ ever-changing expectations.

This week, The Zest continues our celebration of Italian-American Heritage Month with a visit to Donatello. On a quiet morning, Dalia stopped by the dining room to chat with Gino. In this conversation, he reflects on the restaurant’s 40-year history, reveals the one dish he’ll never take off the menu and offers advice for cooking better Italian meals at home.

Related episodes:

Learn to Make Neapolitan Pizza

Couples in the Kitchen: Melissa Santell & Bryce Bonsack

Pasta Packs Co-Founders Nic & Greg Bryon on Pandemic Dinner Parties, the Flour Your Pantry Needs and Cooking While Black

Making Cheese is a Breeze at Tampa’s Cheeseology Oct 17, 2024

Show notes

This week, it’s our cheesiest episode yet. We’re heading to Cheeseology.

Located in a 125-year-old building in Tampa’s historic Ybor City neighborhood, the shop offers cheesemaking classes, tastings, take-home cheeses and other local products for sale.

Dalia and The Zest’s brand manager, Alexandria Ebron, visited Cheeseology for a conversation with co-owner Kelly Hays. In this conversation, Kelly shares how a vacation inspired her and her husband, Paul, to open the shop in early 2024. She also goes over the basics of cheesemaking and how to choose a cheese you’ll love, even if you’re cutting back on dairy.

After their chat, Dalia and Alex stuck around for Cheeseology’s pizza class, in which they made mozzarella, used the cheese to make a pizza and then enjoyed their creation in Cheeseology’s cafe area.

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After Hurricane Damage, Restaurateur Dan Bavaro Says, “We'll Come Out of This Stronger Than Ever” Oct 10, 2024

Show notes

Today’s episode was supposed to be a light-hearted conversation we recorded back in June with Dan Bavaro. He’s the owner of Bavaro’s Pizza, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. The restaurant has five Tampa Bay locations, along with a successful line of sauces. Back in June, Dalia caught up with Dan at Bavaro’s downtown Tampa location during lunchtime. In that conversation, Dan shares lessons from his 15 years in the Italian food business.

Then in September, Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast before continuing its path of destruction across the Southeast. Bavaro’s Clearwater location got hit hard.

So on Oct. 4, Dalia called Dan for an update on how he, his staff and the building were doing. They spoke over Zoom.

If you’d like to support Bavaro’s employees during this difficult time, you can buy a gift card. For every card purchased, 40 percent goes back to the restaurant’s employee fund for team members displaced from Helene. You can also donate to the GoFundMe that’s specifically set up to help the restaurant’s Clearwater team members, who will be out of work for the foreseeable future.

This episode takes place in two parts: the first recorded back in June and the other recorded on Oct. 4, 2024.

Note: The episode was produced on Oct. 7, 2024, as Florida residents were still recovering from Hurricane Helene while also preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Milton.

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Giuliano Hazan Honors Mother Marcella Hazan's Legacy Through Italian Cooking Classes in Sarasota and Italy Oct 03, 2024

Show notes

When Dalia arrived at Giuliano Hazan’s home in Sarasota, the first thing he did was offer her a cappuccino and a plate of biscotti. She had eaten breakfast on the drive down from Tampa, so she was not at all hungry.

But when Giuliano Hazan offers you an Italian breakfast, you take it.

Giuliano is the only child of Marcella Hazan, the Italian-born food writer and cooking teacher who is credited with popularizing Italian food in the United States. Marcella and her husband, Victor Hazan, raised Giuliano mostly in New York City. When Giuliano moved to Florida’s Gulf Coast as an adult, his parents later followed. Marcella died in 2013; Victor still lives on Longboat Key.

While Marcella’s legacy lives on in her cookbooks, a documentary film and a Smithsonian project that’s in the works, Giuliano has established himself as an Italian cooking authority in his own right. The author of several cookbooks, he teaches Italian cooking classes on his YouTube channel, at his home in Sarasota and at his cooking schools throughout Italy, where he leads culinary tours with his wife, writer Lael Hazan. Forbes.com named their culinary excursions among its 5 Top Cooking And Foodie Vacations In Italy For 2019.

Dalia recently sat down with Giuliano at his kitchen table in Sarasota. Between bites of biscotti and sips of cappuccino, they discussed how his mother got her big break in America, his own career in Italian cooking and advice for making better Italian food at home.

You can read more about Giuliano Hazan in the fall issue of Forum, the magazine of Florida Humanities.

Related episodes:

Bavaro’s Brings Italy to Tampa Bay

“The Sporkful” Host Dan Pashman on Pasta, Podcasting & Imposter Syndrome

Sarasota Magazine Food Writer Lauren Jackson’s Job Is Harder Than You Think

Universal Orlando Vegans: Shelby Castle Steers You to Plant-Based Food at the Theme Park and Around Central Florida Sep 26, 2024

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There was a time when theme park food meant hot dogs and giant turkey legs. But these days, amusement parks offer something for just about every palate, from gluten-free and allergy-friendly to kosher and halal.

If you’re vegan or leaning into a plant-based diet, you’ve got more options, too. And finding them is easier, thanks to the website and social media account Universal Orlando Vegans. It’s the brainchild of Shelby Castle, a vegan and Universal passholder.

On her website and social media accounts, Shelby documents vegan-friendly finds at Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, CityWalk and nearby hotels. She also co-hosts the podcast Taste of Universal, which is under the umbrella of The Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast.

In our conversation, Shelby shares her favorite vegan foods at Universal Orlando around Central Florida. She also offers advice for transitioning to a vegan lifestyle.

Related episodes:

EPCOT Food & Wine Festival: Tips for Eating & Drinking Your Way Around the World Sep 24, 2024

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It’s the most delicious time of year at the Most Magical Place on Earth. We’re talking about the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.

The annual event takes place through Nov. 23 at EPCOT’s World Showcase. That’s the area of the theme park whose architecture replicates a bunch of different countries. One minute you're taking a selfie in front of a replica Eiffel Tower; next thing you know, you’re climbing the steps of an Aztec temple in fake Mexico. Throughout the year, each “country” in EPCOT highlights its cuisine. But during the Food & Wine Festival, things get even more elaborate, with special kiosks featuring bespoke food and drinks.

Dalia recently attended the festival, as did her WUSF colleagues Leslie Laney and Mark Schreiner. In this bonus Zest episode, they’ll share their experience and offer tips for eating and drinking your way around the world.

Related episodes:

EPCOT Culinary Director Albert Youngman Brings a World of Flavors to Florida

Journalist Judith Smelser on Zoom Wine Tastings, Disney Sommeliers and How to Find Your Next Favorite Bottle of Wine

“Happiest Plate on Earth” Podcast Hosts Dish on Disney Dining

AJ Wolfe of Disney Food Blog

Pro Basketball Player (and Dalia’s Stepdaughter!) Ariel Colón Reveals Her Slam-Dunk Diet Sep 19, 2024

Show notes

A lot of people we interview on the podcast come to feel like family. But this week’s guest actually is family.

Dalia is chatting with her stepdaughter, Ariel Colón, who is a 25-year-old professional basketball player.

Ariel has been playing basketball since she was in elementary school, which is when Dalia first met her. And she hasn’t stopped. She played throughout high school and college, and she now splits her time between pro teams in Lares, Puerto Rico, and Aveiro, Portugal.

Before Ariel headed back overseas, she and Dalia sat down at home to talk about the role food has played in her basketball career. In this conversation, she shares how her eating habits have evolved over the years, how her diet changes when she’s playing overseas and food advice for us mere mortals.

Related episodes:

Nutrition Tips for Young Athletes — And the Rest of Us

How Gatorade Went from Gainesville to Global Brand

Students Dish on Dorm Food, Shared Kitchens and Cooking in College

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Chef Tracie Hartman on Feeding the Team, Pre-Game Ice Cream and Tom Brady’s “Very Disciplined” Diet

At YES CHEF Village, Marques “Chef Omaka” Clark Helps Kids Access Healthy Food Sep 12, 2024

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When Marques Clark was a kid growing up in St. Pete, he lived on food stamps at home and free lunches at school—in other words, low-quality food.

Now as an adult, Marques is on a mission to teach healthier options to kids, particularly Black children. So in 2014, he started YES CHEF Village. Short for Youth Enrichment Service (YES) Children’s Healthier Eating Foundation (CHEF), the program educates kids and their families about better food options through community dinners and other initiatives.

Marques, who also goes by the name Chef Omaka, stopped by The Zest studio in June 2024 to chat with Dalia Colón. In this conversation, Marques discusses his journey to a healthier lifestyle, the connection between nutrition and physical/mental health and the prevalence of food deserts in Black neighborhoods.

Related episodes:

10 Tips for Cooking with Kids

Lunchboxmafia: How to Make a Lunch They Can’t Refuse

Soul Food Scholar Adrian Miller Will Headline the Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival

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