About this episode

Chef Pyet DeSpain discusses her journey in honoring Indigenous foodways and the cultural significance of her cooking.

Chef Pyet DeSpain made history as the first-ever winner of Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef, where she showcased her Mexican lineage and her cultural heritage as a proud member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. Today, she continues to honor and preserve Indigenous foodways through her cooking and storytelling, including her PBS food-streaming series, Spirit Plate . Her debut cookbook, Rooted in Fire: A Celebration of Native and Mexican Cooking , reflects that same deep connection to land, culture, and community. In this episode, we chat about how family and community shaped her approach to cooking, the importance of keeping Indigenous food traditions alive, foraging and seasonal cooking, and how food can spark meaningful conversation and connection at the table. Learn more about Pyet at pyetsplate.com and follow her on Instagram @chefpyet . Podcast Show Notes: https://kitchenconfidante.com/rooted-in-fire-chef-pyet-despain

People in this episode

Host: Liren Baker

Guest: Chef Pyet DeSpain

Topics covered

• Indigenous foodways
• cooking
• cultural heritage
• community
• foraging
• seasonal cooking
• food traditions

Keywords

• Indigenous cooking
• Mexican cuisine
• food traditions
• cultural heritage
• community cooking
• foraging
• seasonal ingredients

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef, PBS, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation

Books & works: Rooted in Fire: A Celebration of Native and Mexican Cooking

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