The holidays mean food—and food waste. Today on our season 6 finale, we’ll meet a mother-and-son duo who are doing something about it while helping those in need. We’re about to meet a mother and son who are reducing food waste and tackling food insecurity in Northern Pinellas County. Ellen and Cameron Macleish [ma-KLEESH] are the cofounders of 360 Eats. The nonprofit turns surplus food into meals for the hungry and compost for gardeners. Cameron is the executive director, while Ellen is the executive chef.  Dalia met up with them at Kitchen 24, a commercial kitchen in Oldsmar where they ..read more

Stephanie Love’s philosophy on wine is simple: “Wine is for everybody.” Through her company, Epicurious One, the St. Petersburg resident offers wine education trips and other experiences. Participants praise her down-to-earth approach, including Stephanie’s wine-and-comfort-food pairings and her descriptions of wine as people with different personalities. In this conversation, Stephanie shares the importance of supporting minority-owned vineyards, suggests wine to enjoy with chicken wings and offers advice for finding an affordable wine you’ll like. Related episodes: Mermosa Founder Desiree N ..read more

For Deborah Keller of Tallahassee, the world is her oyster. After a 29-year career with The Nature Conservancy, Deborah turned her attention to sustainable shellfish. Nicknamed the OysterMom, she has been farming and selling fresh oysters for nearly a decade. In this interview, the conservationist describes the impact of climate change and hurricanes on oystering. She also explains the far-reaching economic impact of Florida’s oyster industry, recounts the bureaucratic red tape she encountered along the way and describes the serenity and stress she experiences on oyster harvesting day. And of ..read more

We always love digging into food history, so we’re excited to welcome back friend of the pod Dr. Frederick Douglass Opie. He’s an author and professor of history and foodways at Babson College outside of Boston. Among the courses he teaches is African History and Foodways. We always learn something from Dr. Opie, and he has the best stories.  In this conversation, he explains the African roots of Southern staples like watermelon, beans and rice, and Coca-Cola. He also details how enslaved Africans brought their farming techniques and cooking methods to America, and how Reconstruction-era ..read more

He’s a little bit foodie, and a little bit rock ‘n roll. This week, we’re catching up with musician-turned-MasterChef contestant Derrick Fox. The Fort Myers native graduated from Estero High School and went on to enjoy a career as a drummer with the Naples-based rock band Later Days. After years of touring, Derrick recently put away his drumsticks in favor of his other passion: cooking. He now works as a private chef, splitting his time between Dallas, Fort Myers and Los Angeles—where he competed twice on reality cooking competition show MasterChef. In season 6, he was a runner-up. And in seas ..read more

This week, we’re exploring the benefits of hyperlocal agriculture with Zach Correa, founder and CEO of lemonGRAFT. The Tampa-based tech platform allows neighbors to buy and sell home-grown foods. Zach’s idea has been getting a lot of attention lately. Last year, Zach scored a fellowship with NPR’s How I Built This podcast. And you may have heard him back in July on WUSF’s Florida Matters. In our conversation, Zach explains how lemonGRAFT works and how buying local—as in, your neighbor down the street local—can lead to a more sustainable and equitable food system. Related episodes: It’s Always ..read more

Explore how Central Florida became a hotbed of Latino food businesses—and the cultural mashups that followed. Learn how marketing tactics by housing developers led to an influx of Puerto Ricans to Orlando in the 1970s and '80s. What followed was a proliferation of restaurants, supermarkets and small food businesses targeting Latinos in Central Florida. Our guest is Dr. Simone Delerme, author of Latino Orlando: Suburban Transformation and Racial Conflict. Related episodes: Food Memories of Latin America How to Have a Puerto Rican-Style Holiday Feast in Florida Miami Herald’s Carlos Frías on Cu ..read more

As the war in Ukraine continues, meet a Ukrainian couple bringing a taste of their homeland to Florida. Oksana Petrova and her husband, Sergiy Petrov, own Oksa Cakes Bakery & Bistro in Flagler Beach. Oksana discusses her favorite Ukrainian delicacies and how the war has affected their business.  Related episodes: Talking Seoul Food with Miami’s 2 Korean Girls Halal Food 101 with Florida’s Halal Food Guru Chef Alain Lemaire on Florida’s Haitian Cuisine Lamb, Baklava & Family: Going Greek in Tarpon Springs Chef Joe Isidori Wants You to Explore Florida’s Ethnic Food Markets ..read more

If you've ever dreamed of starting a community garden, then you'll want to take notes on this episode. Just north of the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus is an urban oasis: Harvest Hope Park. The 7-acre park is a sanctuary for residents, with a playground, sports fields, fitness stations, walking trail, tilapia fishing pond and more. It all started eight years ago with the park’s first feature: Harvest Hope Community Garden. Sarah Combs is executive director/CEO of the University Area Community Development Corporation, which oversees the garden. Derek Laracuente and Harvest Hope Comm ..read more

Learn to simplify healthy eating with simple advice from Carly Paige of FitLiving Eats. The Orlando-based chef and cookbook author suggests easy recipe swaps and no-cook meal ideas. Related episodes: How to Snack Smarter Hacks to Help You Eat More Veggies Florida Theme Parks Get Vegan ..read more