This week on The Zest podcast we’re talking about some real Florida classics. We learn to make the Columbia Restaurant's signature 1905 Salad. Then, we fast-forward to 1961, when the Junior League of Tampa debuted its Gasparilla Cookbook, which included its prize-winning Florida Orange Grove Pie. And, we’ve got a conversation with celebrity chef Lazarus Lynch, who’s spreading the word about his Southern cuisine using a very modern kitchen staple: social media.
The Columbia Restaurant has been a Tampa institution since 1905. Founded by Cuban immigrant Casimiro Hernandez Sr. and still in the family, the restaurant is world-renowned for its Cuban sandwich. Almost as famous is the Columbia Restaurant’s 1905 Salad.
The Zest’s producer, Dalia Colón, visits the Ybor City restaurant for a conversation with fifth-generation owner Andrea Gonzmart Williams. Andrea explains how a resourceful server came up with the 1905 Salad recipe.
Then, we check out another recipe from that iconic Junior League cookbook, The Gasparilla, the Florida Orange Grove Pie.
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The Junior League of Tampa’s Gasparilla Cookbook was first published in 1961 and is still a go-to gift for bridal showers and housewarmings, and it's a kind of a time capsule for Tampa Bay cuisine. Back in the day, the Florida Orange Grove Pie recipe won grand prize in the All-Florida Orange Dessert Contest. The Zest host Robin Sussingham visited the Junior League of Tampa’s headquarters on Davis Islands for a baking lesson with the Junior League's Stephanie Haas.
Now, 60 years after the Gasparilla Cookbook was published, a social media presence is practically as important as a good set of knives. Lazarus Lynch is at the top of his game in the kitchen and online, being a two-time Chopped champion and host of Snapchat’s first cooking show, Chopped U, and the Food Network’s digital series, Comfort Nation. He speaks to The Zest contributor Janet Keeler about his cookbook, Son of a Southern Chef, which is part love letter to his late father and part celebration of soul, spirit and style.
