In The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook, Dalia Colón—an Emmy Award–winning multimedia journalist—details more than 100 recipes that celebrate Florida’s fruits, veggies, herbs, and grains. We asked Dalia Colón some questions about her new book, which we’re sharing below.
Want to hear more from Dalia Colón? Listen to an interview with Dalia on NPR’s 1A.
When did you know that you wanted to write a vegetarian cookbook?
When I realized how many people had abandoned a plant-based lifestyle because they didn’t know what to eat. If I ate iceberg lettuce and bland veggie burgers every day, I’d give up, too. This cookbook is an opportunity to show how satisfying meatless meals can be.
What do you hope readers will enjoy the most about your book?
I hope they enjoy outside-the-box recipes so they’re never bored at mealtime.
How did you come up with ideas for the recipes in your book?
I started with tried-and-true recipes that I cook for my family and friends, like Game Day Buffalo Cauliflower. Then I thought about how to create more fruit- or veggie-forward versions of classic dishes, which is how I came up with new favorites like Ruby Red Roasted Beet Hummus and Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake.
Take us through your process in developing recipes. What steps do you go through to test and perfect each dish?
To make the endeavor more manageable and cost-effective, I devoted each week to experimenting with one or two foods. For instance, while working with mangoes, I wrote recipes for Simple Slaw with Mango, Muffin Tin Mango Flan and Overnight French Toast with Mango Vanilla Cream. Then the dishes went to my taste-testers—family, friends and neighbors—for their seal of approval. But not every recipe made the cut. My attempt at Jackfruit Ropa Vieja still gives me nightmares.
Is there an ingredient you use a lot that you think is underappreciated? Why do you love it?
Fresh citrus! A squeeze of lemon or lime brightens up almost any dish, from my Mexican Street Corn Salad to Baked Cilantro-Lime Falafel Tacos to Spring Rolls with Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce. I like to keep a few lemons or limes in a bowl on my kitchen counter, so I can whip up a quick salad vinaigrette with dinner or hummus if guests drop by.
What’s your food philosophy? Has it evolved at all over the years?
“We eat with our eyes first.” Countless chefs have told me this, and even before they did, I observed my mother making sure the food on her table always included a rainbow of colors. Now, I try to make sure my food looks as good as it tastes. I guess Mother really does know best.
How has your background as a journalist affected how you wrote this cookbook?
As a journalist, I understand that people remember feelings more than facts. So rather than bombarding readers with numbers about the health, environmental and ethical benefits of leaning into a plant-based diet, I focused on how good plant-based meals can taste and how proud Floridians should be that this bounty grows right in our own backyards.
What advice do you have for aspiring food writers?
Get specific. Start writing down your recipes. Cooking with a “pinch of this” and “handful of that” is much different than jotting down exactly how many teaspoons of garlic or cups of spinach went into a dish. Also, practice describing food without using the word delicious, which really doesn’t tell us much. Help your readers experience the dish before they can taste it. For instance, “This Blueberry Corn Crisp is sweet, tangy and comforting” or “These Chocolate-Dipped Avocado Paletas taste like a beach vacation in your mouth.”
Learn more about The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook
Dalia Colón is an Emmy Award–winning multimedia journalist who has worked and eaten her way across Florida. She is executive producer and host of The Zest podcast from WUSF Public Media and the NPR Network, associate producer and cohost of WEDU Arts Plus on Tampa Bay’s PBS station, and a former James Beard Awards judge. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times, and Gravy, the journal of the Southern Foodways Alliance. Dalia lives in Riverview, Florida, and never leaves home without a snack.
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