Pyet in the Press

In Episode 5 of Spirit Plate, Chef Pyet DeSpain visits the Yurok Tribe along California’s North Coast to harvest Pacific eel, learn traditional techniques, and celebrate river restoration through a joyful community feast.

In Episode 4 of Spirit Plate, Chef Pyet DeSpain travels to the Finger Lakes to cook alongside Onondaga elders, learn from seed keeper Angela Ferguson, and prepare a ten course feast honoring ancient Indigenous foodways and resilience.

In Episode 3 of Spirit Plate, Chef Pyet DeSpain journeys to Hydaburg, Alaska to fish Pacific halibut with the Haida people, cook in a traditional longhouse, and serve a meaningful feast honoring elders, culture, and ancestral foodways.

In this Beyond the Art Podcast highlight, Chef Pyet DeSpain reflects on her childhood memories in her family’s Kansas City taquerias, her mission to inspire cultural curiosity, and her belief in slowing down to reconnect with food as a powerful source of healing.

In this Culture Show Podcast interview, Chef Pyet DeSpain reflects on the food memories that shaped her, the community centered traditions of her Indigenous and Mexican heritage, and the inspiration behind her debut cookbook Rooted in Fire.

Chef Pyet DeSpain shares what it means to have her cookbook Rooted in Fire featured in the Los Angeles Times, emphasizing the importance of Indigenous food visibility and the traditions that shaped her work.

Chef Pyet Despain celebrated Native American Heritage Month with a Barnes and Noble social media takeover, where she spotlighted influential Indigenous cookbooks and shared the inspiration behind her debut cookbook Rooted In Fire.

Chef Pyet DeSpain joins WFLA’s Daytime to talk about her name, her Indigenous and Mexican heritage, and the story behind the Three Sisters recipe from Rooted in Fire.

Chef Pyet visited the CBS Los Angeles studio to talk about her cookbook Rooted in Fire, sharing stories from her Native American and Mexican heritage and showcasing the deep cultural connection between food, family, and land.

Rooted in Fire by Chef Pyet DeSpain has been honored as one of Amazon’s Best Books of the Year (2025). The announcement aired on CBS Mornings and includes a five-story billboard in New York City, recognizing Pyet’s celebration of Indigenous Fusion Cuisine and storytelling through food.

I had such a wonderful time meeting with the team at Indian Country Today to talk about my new cookbook, Rooted in Fire . It was an honor to sit down with a Native-led news organization that has spent years uplifting our voices and sharing our stories with the world. We talked about what this book means to me, how it celebrates both my Native and Mexican roots and the journey that brought me here. I shared stories about the recipes that shaped me, from my family’s taquerias i

Chef Pyet DeSpain travels to Oʻahu to join Chef Kealoha Domingo in preparing a 400-pound pig in an underground imu oven and learning about the sacred taro root that sustains Hawaiian culture. Together, they share a feast that honors food, family, and gratitude.

In the premiere episode of Spirit Plate on PBS Food, Chef Pyet DeSpain returns home to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation to prepare a sacred bison stew feast, reflecting on love, community, and the strength of her roots.

Pyet DeSpain invites her community to join her October 29th at 5 PM PST for a live TalkShopLive event celebrating Rooted in Fire, her debut cookbook honoring Native American and Mexican traditions. Signed copies ship November 18, 2025.

I’m so excited to share that my cookbook Rooted in Fire: A Celebration of Native American and Mexican Cooking was recently highlighted...

Publishers Weekly has highlighted Rooted in Fire in its feature on new Indigenous cookbooks this season. Chef Pyet DeSpain shares how her debut book draws from her Native American and Mexican roots, weaving family traditions into recipes that honor heritage, healing, and authenticity.

In a powerful conversation on Your Mama’s Kitchen, Chef Pyet DeSpain shares how her Native American and Mexican heritage guided her journey to winning Next Level Chef. She reflects on childhood memories, challenges stereotypes about Indigenous cuisine, and shares a special tamale recipe inspired by her roots.

Chef Pyet DeSpain, featured on The Today Show, shares the deep cultural meaning of the “Three Sisters” — corn, beans, and squash — and how they represent strength, resilience, and community within Indigenous foodways.

Chef Pyet DeSpain brings a first-of-its-kind Indigenous and Mexican fusion menu to Downtown LA, spotlighting the richness of Native foodways beyond the usual fry bread. Her cooking tells a deeper story—one rooted in heritage, identity, and healing.

Chef Pyet DeSpain makes history as the first Indigenous chef to lead a residency at Abernethy’s in Downtown LA, offering a powerful blend of Native American and Mexican cuisine through spring 2025.