If you can’t stand the heat… then grab a glass of milk. We’re spicing things up with Michele Northrup, better known as the Saucy Queen.Whether you love spicy food, or you feel your mouth burning when you hear a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, I think you’ll enjoy today’s conversation. Michele Northrup owns Intensity Academy hot sauce company and co-produces the annual I Like It Hot! Festival. This year’s event takes place Sept. 10 and 11 at the Largo Event Center. I visited Michele at her home in Tampa’s Northdale neighborhood to discuss her favorite ways to spice up a meal. She also also offered advice for introducing spicy foods to kids and for cooling down your mouth if things get a bit too intense. Speaking of intense, stick around for the taste test at the end of the episode. Thanks to Michele’s husband, Atlas Cortecero, for assisting with that.Related episodes:“Burger Beast” Sef Gonzalez on Florida’s Best HamburgersReal-Life Willy Wonka: Meet Peter Behringer of Sweet Pete’s in JacksonvilleCome Fry With Me: Florida State Fair Funnel Cake Queen “Mama Jane” Harris

Long before the Ritz-Carlton or the Four Seasons, there was the Tampa Bay Hotel. Railroad giant Henry Plant founded the hotel, which operated from 1891 to 1932 and served as a playground for the rich and famous. Today, the former Tampa Bay Hotel is home of the Henry B. Plant Museum on the University of Tampa campus. I stopped by the museum to learn who stayed there, what they ate and lessons their fancy-schmancy meals can teach us today. In this conversation, you'll hear from Lindsay Huban, Susan Carter and Melissa Sullebarger of the Henry B. Plant Museum.Related episodes:How Plant City Became the Winter Strawberry Capital of the WorldJames Weldon Johnson’s Foodie LifeGrits, Gravy and Pie: Florida Cracker Cooking

Get ready to fill up your calendar with some foodie field trips, because this week’s guest is Kristen Hare. Her book "100 Things to Do in Tampa Bay Before You Die" is now in its third edition—and many of the entries are food-related. There’s something for everyone, whether you live in Tampa Bay r you’re starting a list of places to check out the next time you find yourself passing through. I recently visited Kristen at her home in Lithia, where she shared her favorites, from breakfast to burgers to what she called - quote - "the best Cuban sandwich of my life."Related interviews:Singing Praises for Neighborhood StoresThe Cuban Sandwich—Our National TreasureRum Punch Rhyme: Your Recipe for ‘Happiness and Good Vibes in a Glass’

In Florida, there’s no shortage of Cuban bread, key lime pie or shrimp and grits. But eating well minus all the carbohydrates can get tricky. That’s where Dennis Perez comes in. The Oldsmar resident is the content creator behind Black Tie Kitchen. It’s a YouTube channel where he shares low-carb versions of his favorite foods—with a side of humor. Among his most popular recipes are pizza, ice cream and cheese biscuits. So put down that bread basket. Here are Dennis’s tips and tricks for a low-carbohydrate lifestyle. Related episodes:How to Snack SmarterHow to Be a Food InfluencerHacks to Help You Eat More Veggies

Majorie Kinnan Rawlings’ memoir Cross Creek reads like a time capsule of life in rural Florida. Published in 1942, the book became an instant classic for its descriptions of natural beauty, farm life and 1930s race relations in the hamlet of Cross Creek, located between Gainesville and Ocala. Much of the book centered around food, so a natural follow-up that same year was Cross Creek Cookery. To mark the cookbook’s 80th anniversary, food journalist Jeff Houck wrote about Cross Creek Cookery for the summer 2022 issue of Edible Tampa Bay. He recently visited our Tampa studio to offer his reflections.Related interviews:Zora Neale Hurston’s Foodie LifeJames Weldon Johnson’s Foodie LifeGrits, Gravy and Pie: Florida Cracker CookingSinging Praises for Neighborhood Stores

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.Friend of the pod Janet Keeler is the former longtime food editor for the Tampa Bay Times and current current freelance editor for the personal finance website The Penny Hoarder. So she knows a thing or two about prepping your hurricane food kit on a budget. Here’s the cheat sheet:Take this seriously.Assess your household’s needs.Start now.Do some reconnaissance.Ban together.Buy what you’ll actually eat.Lower the bar.Prepare for a power outage.Think like a camper.Grill what you've got.Figure out where you’ll get your protein.Beware of salty-sweet snacks.Buy more water than you think you’ll need.Shop the aisles.Buy some last-minute produce.Respect the power of comfort foods.Remember non-food items.Preserve hand-written recipes.Prep for the worst.Hope for the best.Related episodes:Cocktails for Hurricane SeasonHow to Photograph Food Like a ProChef Judy Gallagher on the Lost Art of Hand-Written RecipesSummertime Grilling Tips for Your Best Barbecue Season YetNo Recipe? No Problem: How to Cook Using Your Intuition

For many of us, saving money at the supermarket is top of mind. So we reached out to Dr. Maria Portelos-Rometo, who teaches a variety of food-related classes at the UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, including Grocery Shopping for Your Health. She has also written a series of blog posts titled Saving Money at the Grocery Store. In this conversation, Portelos-Rometo, offers advice for saving money on groceries.Related episodes:Tips for Grocery Service Delivery SuccessConscious Cuisine: Chef Justin Timineri of Fresh From Florida Offers Ideas for Eating What’s in SeasonConscious Cuisine: Rob Greenfield on How to Live without Grocery Stores and Restaurants

For many of us, summer is reading season. Whether you’re indulging in a beach read or delving into something meatier on a plane ride, a good book goes great with a drink.So to kick off season 6, we're chatting with Terra Dunham, who owns Book + Bottle. It's a combination bookstore/wine bar in downtown St. Petersburg. The shop’s Readers and Drinkers Circle is a quarterly book and wine pairing subscription. So Terra knows just what to drink with a good beach read.Related episodes:Mermosa Founder Desiree Noisette Makes Wine – and HistoryJournalist Judith Smelser on Zoom Wine Tastings, Disney Sommeliers and How to Find Your Next Favorite Bottle of WineConscious Cuisine: Husband-and-Wife Master Sommeliers Andrew McNamara and Emily Pickral on How Climate Change Affects Wine