Zest contributor Janet Keeler talks with author Tamara Lush about how her love of intrigue and her coffee obsession-inspired Grounds for Murder. It's the first book in her Coffee Lover's Mystery Series and will debut on Dec. 8, 2020.

Florida is one of the nation’s largest producers of honey and is a hub for beekeeping, both commercially and as a hobby. Robin Sussingham speaks with bee expert Dr. Jamie Ellis about the threats facing Florida's honey bees, why beekeeping is an increasingly popular hobby, how to spot fake honey and more. This conversation originally aired in 2019 and is part of a reporting collaboration between The Zest Podcast and WUSF News.

There may be a lot to dislike about 2020, but on the positive side,  lots of people have taken up gardening!  This includes The Zest’s producer, Dalia Colón, who’s had her share of gardening fails in the past. But she’s ready to give it another try, with advice from Robert Bowden. He’s the executive director of Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando. It’s a 50-acre botanical garden that's home to thousands of ornamental flowers, fruit and vegetable plants. Bowden is also the author of Florida Fruit & Vegetable Gardening: Plant, Grow, and Harvest the Best Edibles. He spoke to Dalia about gardening do’s and don’ts, the best plants for beginners and what’s unique about gardening in Florida.

How do you become an expert on Florida food? Heather McPherson spent decades as food editor at the Orlando Sentinel. She’s an author and editor of several cookbooks showcasing Florida’s seafood and produce; she’s the publicist for the famous Floridian Chef Art Smith; and she lends her writing talent to the Florida Dairy Farmers, and to Edible Orlando magazine, among other venues. Plus, she’s an energetic advocate for Florida farmers.

Kanika Tomalin has a lot on her plate. She works under St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman as deputy mayor and city administrator, serving the city’s 270,000 residents. On top of that, Tomalin recently published a cookbook. St. Pete Eats is a collection of healthy recipes from some of the city’s best-known chefs— including a few from Tomalin’s own kitchen and one that pays tribute to her late husband, Terry Tomalin, who for years wrote a popular outdoors column for the Tampa Bay Times. The Zest’s Dalia Colón chats with Deputy Mayor Tomalin about what inspired her to write the cookbook, some of her favorite recipes and the best St. Pete restaurants you probably haven't tried.

There’s an old Jewish joke with a kernel of truth that’s supposed to sum up the Jewish holidays: “They tried to kill us; we won; let’s eat.” It’s an oversimplification of the very real connection between Jewish history, culture and tradition, and food.

Genie Milgrom of Miami had a life that was changed and shaped by that connection – even before she was aware of it. Her family escaped from Fidel Castro’s Cuba to Miami in 1960, and she was raised a devout Catholic. But as she recounts in her memoir “My 15 Grandmothers,” she always felt a mysterious pull toward Judaism.  After much study and searching, her genealogical research led her back hundreds of years to her Jewish ancestors from a village in western Spain. She learned that although the terror of the Inquisition forced her family to practice Catholicism in the open, they carried their Judaism with them in secret, including their dietary customs.

Sef Gonzalez puts on food events and competitions, and he writes about hamburgers and other comfort food from his base in Miami. Nearly 80,000 burger fans follow his blog on BurgerBeast.com. Sef chats with Robin Sussingham about what makes a good hamburger and where to find the best burgers in Florida.

Talk about a sweet gig. Peter Behringer  and his wife, Allison, are the couple behind Sweet Pete’s Candy in Jacksonville. This three-story shrine to sugar has bragging rights as the largest candy store in the Southeast. But running a candy business isn’t just about lollipops and chocolate bars. Pete recently spoke with The Zest’s Dalia Colón about the company’s rocky road to success. He also shared the latest candy trends and ideas for treats you can make at home.

Kevin Godbee and Lori Brown are the force behind StPetersburgFoodies.com. They’re the hosts of the St. Petersburg Foodies podcast; they’ve got lots of dedicated fans on social media; and their Facebook group, St. Petersburg Foodies Restaurant Reviews, boasts more than 14 thousand followers. Kevin and Lori are respected in the food scene because they get out into the community, they frequent the restaurants that they write about, and they eat with gusto! They gave us their personal recommendations for their favorite St. Petersburg downtown and beachside restaurants, plus revealed the winners of this year’s St. Petersburg Foodies Restaurant awards, chosen by their readers and listeners.

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.

Chef Art Smith has cooked for presidents and governors, the Dalai Lama and the royal family. He also spent a decade as personal chef to Oprah Winfrey; frequent appearances on her show made him a household name. Regardless of celebrity status or political party, Smith says nearly everybody has one thing in common: a love of Southern cuisine. He says comfort food helps us let down our guard and find common ground. 

The two-time James Beard Award winner showcases his appreciation for Southern food at his Disney Springs restaurant, Chef Art Smith's Homecomin' Florida Kitchen. He also developed the menu for Splitsville, an upscale bowling alley in Tampa. Smith spoke to The Zest’s Dalia Colón from his home in Jasper, North Florida, where he lives with his husband, Jesús, and their four children.

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.