The Zest

Latest Episodes:

From Disney to Downtown: Orlando's Best Restaurants Jun 04, 2020

Show notes

The Orlando area has been experiencing an explosion of great restaurants. When there are so many choices, the Orlando Sentinel's Foodie Awards can point you toward some interesting local places to try. Amy Drew Thompson is the Orlando Sentinel's multimedia food reporter, and 2020 was her first year of taking on the gargantuan task of singling out restaurants in 50 different categories.

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.

Summertime Grilling Tips for Your Best Barbecue Season Yet May 28, 2020

Show notes

Avera Wynne spent 30 years as an urban planner—a good job that paid for his barbecue habit. This certified barbecue judge now has his own line of seasoning blends called Zest Coast. Avera talks about when to use gas and when to use charcoal, plus he gives us his number one tip for grilling like a pro. Robin also asked him where the name Avera comes from, and it turns out there’s a connection to North Carolina and the Civil War.

Chef Michelle Bernstein's Latin-Jewish 'Mishmosh' May 21, 2020

Show notes

Michelle Bernstein started cooking fusion food dishes long before “fusion” was a buzzword. The Miami chef, restaurant owner and TV personality made a name for herself combining flavors and techniques from her Latin-Jewish heritage. And it works. In 2008, the James Beard Foundation recognized her as the best chef in the South. In this conversation with The Zest producer Dalia Colón, Bernstein discusses how her Latin-Jewish heritage influences how she cooks, her favorite South Florida food trends and the restaurant meals she's missing during the pandemic.

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.

Extra Zest: Sweet Corn & Melons Are What's Ripe Now May 18, 2020

Show notes

It’s time for melons and watermelons in Florida, which are in season right now. You’ll find them in the stores, and farmers are selling from roadside stands. Sweet corn is also in season, and is grown all over the state before making its way further north.

Grits, Gravy and Pie: Florida Cracker Cooking May 14, 2020

Show notes

What comes to mind when you think about original Florida cracker cooking? If you’re thinking biscuits and gravy, chess pie and dumplings, you’re on the right track. Joy Harris's new cookbook, The Florida Cracker Cookbook: Recipes & Stories from Cabin to Condo, celebrates her ancestors' down home cooking -- some of which was done in a Panhandle cabin with no electricity! The Zest contributor Janet Keeler spoke to Joy about the roots of Florida cooking.

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.

Sourdough Bread 101 May 07, 2020

Show notes

Have you found yourself wanting to bake bread while you’re quarantining? Christina Cann, owner of Gulf Coast Sourdough, says it’s a real thing. Hundreds of people have asked her for some sourdough starter over the last several weeks. Part of the reason is that so many people are baking bread that there’s been a run on instant yeast at the stores, and it’s hard to find right now. But sourdough uses wild yeast for leavening, and wild yeast are all around us. Christina says eating sourdough bread is like taking a bite of history.

You’ll find Christina’s recipe for sourdough bread on our website, thezestpodcast.com.

Taco Bus Founder René Valenzuela on Cinco de Mayo, His Life-Changing Accident & What's Next Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

Rene Valenzuela is best known as the founder and former owner of Taco Bus. Rene’s life and career came to a standstill two years ago, when he was burned in a horrific kitchen fire. He says he learned a lot about himself during his recovery, and now he's ready for his next venture. This time he's teaming up with Jamal Wilson, owner of Hall on Franklin in Tampa, and expanding to Orlando. I talked to Rene about a lot of things – including his accident; the food from his home region of Mexico; and what to make for Cinco de Mayo!

James Beard Award Winner Toni Tipton-Martin on African-American Cooking Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

Toni Tipton-Martin is on a crusade. The food journalist and educator won a James Beard Award in 2016 for her book The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks. Her latest work, Jubilee, is a collection of recipes from those antique cookbooks. In February, the Baltimore resident came to St. Petersburg to speak at the third annual Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival, held at the Carter G. Woodson African-American Museum. That’s where she sat down with The Zest’s producer, Dalia Colón.

Extra Zest: Blueberries and Squash Are What's Ripe Now Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

Every month, we’re focusing on what's fresh and what's growing in Florida. Robin will be talking to extension agents from The University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, known as IFAS, to tell us what we should be looking for -- and cooking with -- right now! This month: blueberries and squash. We've also got a delicious Florida squash casserole recipe on our website.

Crack Open Season Two With Fresh Florida Oysters Apr 16, 2020

Show notes

In the last couple of years, the harvest of wild caught oysters has gone down by half. But the amount of farmed oysters has doubled in that time. And there’s definitely a market demand for the shellfish, so aqua farmers are trying out more areas of Florida to grow oysters – outside of Apalachicola, which is where you usually think of oysters growing.

Brian Rosseger is one of these pioneering oyster farmers. Last year, He and his wife started their small business, Lost Coast Oyster Company, in Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve at the mouth of Tampa Bay. It’s a very labor-intensive process. Reporter Jessica Meszaros recently took a ride with Brian deep into the mangroves as he worked on his floating farm.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected