The Passionate Palate

Hi Foodies,

In this episode of the Passionate Palate, I speak with Tamara Elmir, founder of Dos Mas, a halal taco business in New Jersey. Tamara shares her unique upbringing in a Mexican and Lebanese household, where food and hospitality were central to family life.

She discusses her journey from a marketing career to food entrepreneurship, recognizing a gap in the market for halal Mexican cuisine. The conversation explores the cultural significance of tacos, the importance of authenticity in flavors, and the legacy of family recipes that inspire her culinary creations.

In this engaging conversation, Tamara from Dos Mas shares her journey in the food industry, detailing the challenges faced during food festivals, the humbling experiences of food service, and the importance of consistency in delivering quality food. She emphasizes the significance of customer experience and constructive feedback, while also discussing her transition from catering to opening a storefront. Tamara aims to create a unique dining experience that reflects her cultural heritage and offers valuable advice for aspiring food entrepreneurs.

Hi Foodies,

What happens when a coffee lover is forced to quit caffeine… and unexpectedly falls into the world of Japanese matcha?

In this episode of The Passionate Palate, I have an interesting conversation with Adam Elhalaby, founder of Zenbumi, and talk about his journey from the elevator industry to curating authentic Japanese matcha and tea. We dive into why so many people think they don’t like matcha, the difference between good and bad matcha, Japanese tea culture, business, faith, purpose, and the growing matcha shortage happening around the world.

This conversation goes far beyond tea—it’s about passion, craftsmanship, community, and building something meaningful.

Whether you love matcha, hate it, or are still undecided… this episode might change the way you think about it completely.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to: Follow me @thepassionatepalate on Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook. Follow or Subscribe to my channel on Youtube,Spotify and Apple Podcasts and leave a rating or review — it helps more foodies discover the podcast. Finally Please Share this episode with someone who’d love it!

Thank You!

Love,

 Zai

Hi Foodies,

Welcome to another delicious episode of The Passionate Palate! In this episode I interview Tahmid Kayum, the founder of CO2 Sips, a beverage company specializing in halal dirty sodas. Tahmid shares his journey from a late-night TikTok scroll to launching his business, discussing the challenges and triumphs he faced along the way. He emphasizes the importance of community support, the creative process behind developing unique drink flavors, and the lessons learned from his first events. The conversation also touches on future aspirations for CO2 Sips, including expanding into food offerings and establishing a strong brand presence in the community.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to: Follow me @thepassionatepalate on Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook. Follow or Subscribe to my channel on Youtube,Spotify and Apple Podcasts and leave a rating or review — it helps more foodies discover the podcast. Finally Please Share this episode with someone who’d love it!

Thank You!

Love,

 Zai

Hi Foodies,

Welcome to another delicious episode of The Passionate Palate! In this episode I talk with Nora Termanini, a high school psychology teacher and personal growth consultant, to explore the intricate connections between cultural food, psychology, fashion, and identity. We discuss how clothing influences confidence, the emotional ties to cultural foods, and the importance of authenticity in personal growth.

Nora shares her insights on navigating dual identities as an immigrant and the impact of technology on communication among teens. The conversation emphasizes the significance of being present in family life and striving for personal success while maintaining clarity and authenticity.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to: Follow me @thepassionatepalate on Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook. Follow or Subscribe to my channel on Youtube,Spotify and Apple Podcasts and leave a rating or review — it helps more foodies discover the podcast. Finally Please Share this episode with someone who’d love it!

Thank You!

Love,

 Zai 

Hi Foodies,

Welcome to another delicious episode of The Passionate Palate! My guest today is Sarah Elkholy, the owner of Fresh Feteer in New Jersey. Sarah is an engineer who turned her love for baking into a small business,specializing in egyptian feteer, a delicious buttery and flaky pastry that is very dear to her heart and egyptian roots.

Sarah makes her delicious feteers at food festivals in NJ so make sure to stop by and try her special creations, savory or sweet!

We had a wonderful time talking about her journey and how she balances her life and career as a wife and mom.

I hope you guys enjoyed watching and listening to our very interesting and fun conversation and stay connected for more informative and fun food content like this.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to: Follow me @thepassionatepalate on Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook. Follow or Subscribe to my channel on Youtube,Spotify and Apple Podcasts and leave a rating or review — it helps more foodies discover the podcast. Finally Please Share this episode with someone who’d love it!

Thank You!

Love,

 Zai 

Hi Foodies,

Welcome to another fun and interesting episode of The Passionate Palate!

My guests today are the founders of Jersey Halal Spots, one of New Jersey's most Famous and Favorite Halal Food Community Groups. They have changed how muslims in NJ discover places to eat and helped countless halal restaurants survive especially during the pandemic. Prior to Jersey Halal Spots they started Muslim Sports Club, a basketball and softball league for young muslims!

I hope you guys enjoyed watching and listening to our very interesting conversation and do stay connected for more informative and fun food content like this.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to: Follow me @thepassionatepalate on Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook. Follow or Subscribe to my channel on Youtube,Spotify and Apple Podcasts and leave a rating or review — it helps more foodies discover the podcast. Finally Please Share this episode with someone who’d love it!

Thank You!

Love,

 Zai

Hi Foodies,

Welcome to another fun and flavorful episode of The Passionate Palate! My guests today are two brothers-in-law from New Jersey who turned their love of barbecue into a booming halal smoked meat business called Holy Smokes. They’re known in their family as the Pitmasters and they do catering and food festivals. One comes from the world of construction, the other from business management, but together they’re building something amazing with barbecue. 

I learned so much about the art and skill of BBQ and Smoked meats and I hope you enjoyed watching and listening to our Smoking Hot conversation! Stay connected for more food content, laughs, and global flavors like this:

@thepassionatepalate on Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube,Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:

Follow or Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, leave a rating or review — it helps more foodies discover the podcastPlease Share this episode with someone who’d love it!

Thank You!

Love,

 Zai

Hi Foodies,

Welcome to another fun and flavorful episode of The Passionate Palate! The guest on this episode is the extremely talented Tabitha Gessling who is a licensed cosmetologist, hairstylist, bridal specialist, and content creator who inspires people to embrace their own beauty. And guess what? She’s also a foodie at heart!

We talk not only about beauty and makeup but also the importance of embracing your inner beauty! 

If you love fun and flavorful conversations like this, stay connected for more food content, laughs, and global flavors:

@thepassionatepalate on Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube,Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:

Follow or Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, leave a rating or review — it helps more foodies discover the podcastPlease Share this episode with someone who’d love it!

Thank You!

Love,

 Zai 

Hi Foodies,

Life served me something I didn’t order… a fractured foot.

I’ll be taking a short break from The Passionate Palate podcast while I rest, heal, and catch up on some comfort food.

But don’t worry—new episodes and foodie conversations will be back as soon as I’m back on my feet (literally)!

In the meantime, I’ll still be posting food content, funny skits, and behind-the-scenes stuff on Tiktok, Instagram and Facebook, because you know I can’t stay away from food talk for long! So please follow me there @thepassionatepalate

Thank you for supporting me on this journey!

Love,

Zai

Hi Foodies,

Welcome to another fun and flavorful episode of The Passionate Palate! This episode is very special to me because my guest is my beautiful daughter Liyana Illyas! Liyana is a Junior in College and double majoring in journalism and political science! She hopes to be a lawyer one day and I’m super proud of her for all her hard work and achievements. Liyana is a foodie like her mama and loves trying out different foods and flavors from around the world.

In this episode, Liyana talks about her love for pasta and ramen noodles and her favorite restaurants in NJ and NY!

If you love fun and flavorful conversations like this, stay connected for more food content, laughs, and global flavors:

@thepassionatepalate on Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube,Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:

Follow or Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, leave a rating or review — it helps more foodies discover the podcastPlease Share this episode with someone who’d love it!

Thank You!

Love,

 Zai