No gators on this menu. The writer Carl Hiaasen is best known for his satirical crime novels set in Florida. His 1993 novel Strip Tease was adapted into a movie starring Demi Moore. And the Apple TV+ series Bad Monkey is based on his 2024 book of the same name. Carl has written dozens of books for both adults and young readers. His latest, Fever Beach, involves “dark money and even darker motives,” as the description on his website reads. Carl’s No. 1 motive during the workday is to write—even if that means eating the same lunch on repeat to help put himself in the zone. The South Florida native caught up with Dalia from his home in Vero Beach. In this conversation, he discusses the role food plays in his books and in his writing practice.  Related episodes: Author & Restaurateur Randy Wayne White on Rum, Hot Sauce & His Latest Doc Ford Novel Author Craig Pittman on Quirky—and Hilarious—Florida Food Stories Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ “Cross Creek Cookery” Turns 80: Reflections from Food Writer Jeff Houck