The Zest

Latest Episodes:

Chef Allen Susser Brings Good Mango Mojo Aug 13, 2020

Show notes

Allen Susser is a James Beard award winner, and one of the pioneers of a new kind of cooking that now seems foundational to Florida food. Floribbean cooking takes advantage of fresh, local Florida produce and seafood but adds elements from the Caribbean or Latin America. Susser calls it “the original farm to table.” He’s a well-known restaurateur and his restaurant, Chef Allen’s in Aventura, finished a 25-year run in 2011.

On a recent Facebook Live cooking demonstration, Chef Allen showed us how to make Pan Roasted Wild Shrimp Mango Mojo, and taught us some easy techniques for slicing and dicing mangos. He’s the author of “The Great Mango Book: A Guide With Recipes." His newest cookbook is “Green Fig and Lionfish: Sustainable Caribbean Cooking

Nutrition Tips for Young Athletes — And the Rest of Us Aug 06, 2020

Show notes

For young athletes who are serious about their sport, granola bars and orange slices just won’t do. Bradenton is home to IMG Academy, a boarding school where elite middle and high school athletes live, study, train and of course eat. The campus also welcomes college athletes, pros and amateur adults. Jackie Barcal is IMG’s head of nutrition. She spoke with The Zest’s Dalia Colón about how to fuel young athletes and offered tips for the rest of us.

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, organic coffee and more. Available in supermarkets, health food stores or online at Seitenbacher.com.

How to Photograph Food Like a Pro Jul 30, 2020

Show notes

Maybe you just spent two days perfecting a loaf of sourdough bread—and the picture you took just didn’t convey how delicious and perfect it turned out. Well, we can help you make those photos better. Our contributor Janet Keeler sat down with her husband, Scott Keeler, to talk about the nitty gritty of photographing food! Scott is a longtime photojournalist at the Tampa Bay Times. They worked together there when Janet was the food and travel editor. And their marriage has survived both that and her pandemic panic baking.

Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops Founder Stephen DiMare Jul 23, 2020

Show notes

In 2010, Stephen DiMare had just graduated from the University of Florida. It was the tail end of the Great Recession, and the job market looked bleak. But a chance encounter with a stranger gave Stephen the idea for what Floridians now know as The Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops. Stephen opened the first store in his native St. Augustine. Today, The Hyppo has eight stores across Florida and is also available at many Publix supermarkets. Stephen chatted with Dalia Colón about The Hyppo’s origin story, flavors that didn’t make the cut and advice for creating your own ice pops to beat the Florida heat.

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, organic coffee and more ,available in supermarkets, health food stores or online at Seitenbacher.com.

Tips for Grocery Service Delivery Success Jul 16, 2020

Show notes

What does a journalist who specializes in grocery store shopping do when a pandemic hits? Like many people, Kathy Saunders turned to grocery delivery services to protect her family’s health. For 16 years, Kathy wrote a column for the Tampa Bay Times that used a tasting panel to assess grocery store products. All those years of shopping and tasting are still being put to good use. Contributor Janet Keeler talked with Kathy recently to get tips on how to get what you want when someone else is doing the shopping.

Ultimate Beach House Menu Jul 09, 2020

Show notes

What's the perfect beach house menu? Nothing fancy, nothing complicated. But you'd want it to be good enough to share with friends.

For ideas, Robin talked to Mary Kay Andrews, a prolific novelist who grew up in St. Petersburg and whose more recent books have names like Summer Rental, Beach Town and Sunset Beach. Last year, she came out with The Beach House Cookbook: Easy, Breezy Recipes with a Southern Accent.

Take Me In to the Ballgame: How to Make Stadium-Quality Hot Dogs at Home Jul 02, 2020

Show notes

If you’re prepping for a cookout or seeking to recreate stadium-quality hot dogs at home, Mel Lohn can help. He’s the larger-than-life personality behind Mel’s Hot Dogs. This month marks 47 years that Mel and his wife, Virginia, have been operating the restaurant, which has become a Tampa institution. The Zest’s Dalia Colón spoke with Mel about the eatery’s early days and how to make a better hot dog at home.

Cocktails for Hurricane Season Jun 25, 2020

Show notes

There's an official-looking decal on the fridge at work. It says: "Hurricane Evacuation Plan: Grab beer. Run like hell."

It's true! Before a hurricane hits, people do tend to stock up on alcohol. (Also strawberry Pop-Tarts, according to Walmart.) So this hurricane season, while we're out picking up batteries and bottled water, let's plan ahead and gather supplies for some festive-feeling, stress-reducing, storm-themed cocktails. For recipes, Robin spoke to Jeannie Weaver, owner and chief mixologist at Revival, a craft cocktail bar in downtown Lakeland.

Tampa Bay's Black-Owned Restaurants; How to Read a Recipe Jun 18, 2020

Show notes

In 2019, Alexandria Jones set out on a mission: to interview owners of a handful of black-owned eateries across Tampa Bay. She turned those interviews into a half-hour documentary called A Soulful Taste: Exploring Tampa Bay's Black-Owned Food Scene. In February of this year, Alex uploaded the video to YouTube, where you can watch the film in its entirety. Alex often writes about food on her blog, The Frugalista Life. She’s also a freelance food writer for Creative Loafing. Those connections came in handy when it came time to select restaurant owners to interview for the film, as Alex explained to The Zest’s Dalia Colón.

Plus, lots of us have rediscovered the art of home cooking lately. Along with that, we've been reading a lot of recipes. The Zest's correspondent Janet Keeler offers some advice.

Lamb, Baklava & Family: Going Greek in Tarpon Springs Jun 11, 2020

Show notes

Miami has Little Haiti and Little Havana. Orlando has Little Vietnam. And in Northern Pinellas County, you’ll find an ethnic enclave like no other: Tarpon Springs. In the late 1800s, Greek immigrants established the town’s sponge-diving industry. Today, visitors flock to Tarpon Springs not only to buy sponges but also to sample the authentic Greek food. Mykonos restaurant has been a Tarpon Springs institution since 1992. The Zest's Dalia Colón chats with the restaurant's founder, Andreas Salivaras, and his granddaughter, Nichole Pastis, about Greek food and being in business as a family.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected