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Strawberries, Streets Eats, and Home-cooked Magic with Maryam Ishtiaq

Chef and creator Maryam Ishtiaq takes a flavorful stroll through Kissimmee — picking, tasting, and cooking her way through the best of the destination.

Home chef Maryam Ishtiaq and host Jen Bonner laughing together in a bright, modern Kissimmee vacation home kitchen as they prepare a fresh, colorful dish. — Maryam Ishtiaq shares a lighthearted moment with host Jen Bonner while whipping up a farm-fresh recipe in their spacious Kissimmee vacation home.

Maryam Ishtiaq knows her way around a kitchen, but in Kissimmee, she let the ingredients lead. In this episode of The Kissimmee Experience, Maryam traded TV lights for Florida sunshine and explored the destination the way any curious cook should: farms, food trucks, and feasting at home. With hands-on experiences and bold bites, her Kissimmee getaway was anything but ordinary.

Picking Berries at Mick Farms

Maryam Ishtiaq and Jen Bonner sitting together, smiling and laughing while picking strawberries at Mick Farms, surrounded by lush green strawberry plants and a sunny landscape. — Maryam Ishtiaq and Jen Bonner enjoy a fun, sun-filled morning together picking strawberries at Mick Farms near Kissimmee.

You haven’t really tasted a strawberry until you’ve picked it yourself. At Mick Farms, just outside Kissimmee, Maryam found herself elbow-deep in vines and absolutely loving it. This family-run farm is all about what’s in season and what’s truly fresh, which is exactly what brought Maryam here. It’s the kind of place where dirt under your nails just means you’re doing vacation right.

Explore Nearby Berry Picking

Eating Around the World at Food Trucks Heaven

Maryam Ishtiaq and Jen Bonner sitting together at a bright red picnic table, laughing and enjoying a variety of food truck dishes and drinks at Food Trucks Heaven in Kissimmee. — Maryam Ishtiaq and Jen Bonner savor good eats and great company at Food Trucks Heaven, a tasty Kissimmee favorite for foodies.

Global flavors, one lot. Food Trucks Heaven is where Kissimmee’s local flavor shows off. Latin classics, global comfort food, sweet surprises, and Maryam didn’t hold back (and neither should you). With so many cultures coming together in one spot, it’s a mini world tour without the jetlag.

Peek at the Menu

Cooking in a Kissimmee Vacation Rental

Maryam Ishtiaq and Jen Bonner enjoying a meal together at the kitchen island of a Kissimmee vacation home, smiling as they dig in to the dish Maryam prepared. — Maryam Ishtiaq and Jen Bonner dig in to a delicious, home-cooked meal in the comfort of a Kissimmee vacation home kitchen.

They don’t call Kissimmee the Vacation Home Capital of the World® for nothing. After collecting her fresh finds, Maryam headed back to cook in a Kissimmee vacation rental that had a kitchen fit for a culinary queen. With more than 30,000 homes to choose from, you can go as gourmet — or as laid-back — as you like. Maryam went full flavor, feeding both her pals and her soul.

Find Your Dream Vacation Rental

Maryam’s journey through Kissimmee was flavorful, fun, and filled with moments that matter, like berry picking, street food sampling, and homemade meals with good company. If that sounds like your kind of vacation, we’ve got good news: this whole experience is just a few clicks away.

Ready to cook up your own adventure? Start planning your Kissimmee stay today.