Dalia Colon
Host, The Zest Podcast"I host a food podcast" is a great icebreaker at parties.
People assume I get paid to eat. True, I do get to sample the occasional slice of pizza or bourbon cocktail — hey, somebody's gotta do it! But serving as host and executive producer of WUSF's food podcast, The Zest, is less about stuffing my face and more about digging into the stories behind Florida's unique foodways: the origins of Cuban sandwich, how a self-described "non-religious Jew" became the kosher king of Miami, and the role of food in the life and work of Florida author Zora Neale Hurston.
I've always enjoyed feasting on a good story, from weekly library visits with my mother, an elementary school teacher, to dissecting Motown song lyrics with my father, a professional musician.
My first "big girl" job was as assistant editor for Cleveland Magazine in my hometown. But after college, grad school and one too many Ohio winters, I moved to the Sunshine State and became a staff writer for the St. Petersburg Times (now called the Tampa Bay Times). I eventually made the leap from print journalism to broadcast when I signed on with WUSF, becoming a health reporter and later covering features.
In addition to working on The Zest Podcast, I'm associate producer and co-host of WEDU Arts Plus on Tampa Bay's PBS TV channel. I also do quite a bit of freelance writing, and I'm working on my first book — a vegetarian cookbook for the University Press of Florida.
"I'm writing a book" is a pretty good icebreaker at parties. But "I host a food podcast" tops them all.
I live in Riverview with my husband and kids.
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Get your spice cabinet ready for Hispanic Heritage Month. Dalia Colón chats with Ivette Rivera, who went from sleeping in her car to creating Bodega Flava. -
Meet the students and volunteers behind SEEDFOLKids, a free after-school program that’s transforming local communities through hands-on gardening, cooking and entrepreneurship. -
Get to know Carl Hiassen. Best known for his satirical crime novels set in Florida, he resident discusses the role food plays in his books and in his writing practice. -
On "The Zest Podcast," meet a firefighter who is passionate about helping his fellow first responders stay healthy while enjoying great food. -
After losing her mother to breast cancer as a child, Mallary Tenore Tarpley developed anorexia. Today, she is learning to lean into her love of chocolate, popcorn and Indian dishes. -
WUSF's Lisa Peakes reveals why radio became so important to her as a child. She also explains how she developed a passion for competitive fitness. -
Learn about the food traditions that surround Juneteenth. Kiva Williams, of Wesley Chapel, discusses the origins of the holiday and her favorite celebratory foods and drinks. -
Walls, with the Florida Department of Citrus in Bartow, explains how drinking the beverage can help you beat the summer heat. -
The exhibition features clay versions of mac and cheese, candied yams and deviled eggs dipped in gold. -
Ahead of the show's sold-out live taping at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, Lam talks about how his Chinese-American upbringing helped him learn to talk about food on the radio.
