Florida’s official hurricane season is June 1 to Nov. 30. But things really ramp up during peak season, which is between mid-August and late-October, according to the Florida State University’s Florida Climate Center.

So if your hurricane kit isn’t quite ready for a major storm, fear not. There’s still time to stock up on supplies. And when it comes to food, this week’s guest can help you think outside of the soup can.

This week we're revisiting our 2022 conversation with Janet Keeler. She teaches journalism at Eckerd College and writes about cookbooks on her Instagram account, The Measured Cup.

You can view Janet's list of 20 tips for a better hurricane food kit here.

Today, we’ll get alfresco dining tips from Lauren Gay, better known online as Outdoorsy Diva. On her popular blog and social media channels, the Florida-based travel influencer shares her adventures, from hiking and horseback riding to kayaking and swimming with manatees.

Since we first spoke with Lauren in 2021, she has contributed to the Lonely Planet book Women Travel Solo, which even got a nod of approval from Oprah.

Here are Lauren’s tips for eating in the great outdoors:

Beach season is also book season. So we're revisiting Dalia's conversation with Terra Dunham, owner of Book + Bottle in St. Petersburg. It's a combination bookstore and wine bar.

Whether you're relaxing on the beach with a juicy celebrity memoir or getting lost in an audiobook as you chill by the pool, you'll get some great recommendations for book and wine pairings. This conversation was recorded in 2022.

She’s a familiar voice to thousands of us across West Central Florida. As the midday host for Tampa Bay’s NPR station, WUSF, Lisa Peakes keeps us company as we work, eat lunch, run errands, sit in the school carline or whatever else we happen to be doing in the afternoon. 

Lisa reads the news, shares the weather report and tells us about local events, all in that friendly, soothing voice that’s become a constant companion. As her WUSF Public Media colleagues, we can tell you that Lisa is even more fascinating than the information she broadcasts. So in this bonus episode, we wanted to give you a chance to get to know the woman behind the microphone. 

In this vulnerable conversation, Lisa reveals why radio became so important to her as a child. She also explains how she developed a passion for competitive fitness. 

The St. Petersburg resident also reveals what she eats on a typical day, and recommends some of her favorite local restaurants for take-out.

Thanks to The Zest’s brand manager, Alexandria Ebron, for suggesting this episode. If you have a suggestion for a Zest guest, please send it to: [email protected].

Related episodes:

• Dietitian Deanna Wolfe on Wellness Trends, Disordered Eating and Finding Food Freedom

• Giuliano Hazan Honors Mother Marcella Hazan’s Legacy Through Italian Cooking Classes in Sarasota and Italy

• Sunshine State Vanilla’s Stephanie Webb Spills the Beans on Florida Vanilla Symposium

• Cookbook Author & Cancer Survivor Rujel Buggs: “Don’t Wait” to Start Eating Right

• Pro Basketball Player (and Dalia’s Bonus Daughter!) Ariel Colón Reveals Her Slam-Dunk Diet

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

• How Gatorade Went from Gainesville to Global Brand

Earlier this month, The Splendid Table recorded a live episode all about Florida foods! Host Francis Lam and producer Erika Romero came to the New Tampa Performing Arts Center for an episode and meet-and-greet hosted by WUSF Public Media.

If you're in West Central Florida, catch the broadcast on Sunday, June 29, 2025 at 2 p.m. on WUSF 89.7 FM. Or listen anywhere, anytime at splendidtable.org.

Guests included:

In case you missed it, check out our convo with Francis when he was a Zest guest!

Juneteenth—June 19—commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It became a federal holiday in 2021, but early celebrations date back to the 1860s.

Today, Americans observe Juneteenth with festivals, family and of course, food. So we invited influencer Kiva Williams, a.k.a. the Fun Foodie Mama, to share some of her favorite Juneteenth culinary traditions.

In this conversation, the Wesley Chapel resident and founder of Mahogany Kids Fine Arts Foundation explains the origins of Juneteenth. She also shares her family’s favorite celebratory foods and drinks, and recommends Juneteenth events to attend and offers advice on how everyone can enjoy the holiday, regardless of race.

Kiva starts by explaining how she became a food influencer.

For more ways to celebrate Juneteenth, check out the WUSF events calendar.

Related episodes:

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

• Soul Food Inspires Artist Chris Friday’s Sarasota Art Museum Exhibition

• Gabrielle E.W. Carter & Dr. LaDonna Butler on Food as Rest & Resistance

• Second Helping: Toni Tipton-Martin Celebrates African-American Chefs in ‘Jubilee’

• Dr. Fred Opie on the “Fascinating” African Roots of Florida Foods

Orange juice is Florida’s official beverage. But you probably didn’t need us to tell you that.

Ever since the Spanish introduced citrus to Florida in the late 15th century, orange juice has been synonymous with the Sunshine State. In fact, nearly all of Florida’s orange crop is used for juice.

But how much OJ are people actually drinking these days? And how can growers combat citrus greening—a disease that destroys the fruit?

For answers, we turned to Celéste Walls, spokeswoman for the Bartow-based  Florida Department of Citrus. In this conversation, Celéste explains the role of Florida orange juice in American history, gives an update on the current state of Florida's orange juice industry and suggests ways to cook with the Sunshine State’s favorite drink.

Related episodes:

• History of Citrus in the Sunshine State

• From Florida to France: Food Writer Jamie Schler on Cooking with Oranges, French Hotel Life and More

• Author Craig Pittman on Quirky—and Hilarious—Florida Food Stories

You know we love a good food-and-art crossover around here. (You may recall our conversation with Malaika Hollist of Arts Axis Florida.)

So when we heard that Miami-based multidisciplinary artist Chris Friday had a food-related exhibition at the Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design, we wanted to learn more. (Not to mention, June is National Soul Food Month!)

Where We Never Grow Old is Friday’s first solo museum exhibition. It depicts literal and metaphorical safe havens traditionally cherished by the African-American community. Large-scale charcoal drawings are embellished with life-sized ceramic sculptures of food—soul food favorites like mac and cheese, candied yams, deviled eggs—finished in gold. 

Friday (that’s what the cool kids call her) spoke with Dalia about how making ceramic food isn’t so different from cooking, and about how the exhibition reflects her identity as a Black American woman. Where We Never Grow Old is on exhibit at the Sarasota Art Museum through Aug. 10, 2025.

Related episodes:

• Malaika Hollist of Arts Axis Florida on West African Food, Imposter Syndrome and More

• The City of Tampa Needs Your Recipes for its Soulwalk Community Cookbook

• From the Big House to the White House: Dr. Martha Bireda on Foodways of the Enslaved

By Dalia Colón

It’s one thing to cook food. But talking about food on the radio takes a lot more than knife skills. And Francis Lam does it so well.

Lam is a food writer, cookbook editor and host of the popular public radio program The Splendid Table. On June 1, he’ll be at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center for a sold-out live taping of the show.

Ahead of his visit to Florida, Francis chatted with Dalia Colón from his hometown of New York City, where he lives and works. In this conversation, Francis shared how his Chinese-American upbringing helped him learn to talk about food on the radio, the Florida foods he's most excited to try and his dream Splendid Table guest—a name that might surprise you. 

Thanks to The Zest’s brand manager, Alexandria Ebron, for suggesting this episode. If you have an idea for a Zest guest, email [email protected]

Related episodes:

• Yee Farms Brings Chinese Vegetables and a “Sense of Pride” to Boynton Beach

• In “My (Half) Latinx Kitchen,” Kiera Wright-Ruiz Explores Identity Through Food

• Giuliano Hazan Honors Mother Marcella Hazan’s Legacy Through Italian Cooking Classes in Sarasota and Italy

As we say every week, this podcast celebrates cuisine and community in the Sunshine State. A fun way to foster community is to host a plant and seed swap. Not only will you get to know your neighbors, but you’ll come away with seeds and cuttings for your edible garden.

Hosting the event doesn’t have to be intimidating or time-consuming. Here to show us the ropes is Ginain Grayes, founder of Cook Pray Slay, where she shares recipes, gardening advice and lifestyle tips. She also hosts the Cook the Garden podcast. Ginain has organized several plant and seed swaps for her neighborhood. 

Dalia visited Ginain at her home in Riverview. As they sat at her dining room table sipping homemade Hibiscus Lime Refreshers, Ginain shared why summer is the perfect time to host a plant and seed swap. In this conversation, she also offers tips for organizing your own event, suggests vegetables that grow well in the summer heat and explains how to use the warmer months to prep your garden for Florida’s next big growing season.

To get Ginain’s digital Host Your Own Plant & Seed Swap Guide, click here.

Related episodes:

• For Ginain Grayes of CookPraySlay & Cook the Garden, Growing Food Is a Spiritual Experience

• Spring Reset: Get Your Garden, Grill & Pantry Ready for the Season with Tips from Southern Kitchen’s Mackensy Lunsford

• Guac This Way: Sleepy Lizard Avocado Farm in the Everglades Specializes in Florida (Green) Avocados