Beyond the Art: A Conversation About Food, Memory, and Healing

There are interviews that feel like a conversation between two people, and then there are conversations that feel like a gentle return home. My time on the Beyond the Art Podcast was the second kind. It gave me space to revisit the roots of my food journey, the smells that shaped my childhood, and the purpose behind the work I carry forward today.

When the host asked about one of my earliest and most powerful food memories, I was immediately transported back to Kansas City. My family owned restaurants at different points in my life, but Donny D’s Taqueria, owned by my Uncle Don, will always be one of the strongest memories. I can still see myself walking in with my brothers and my dad, holding the door open as that wave of warm spice filled the air. Those smells wrapped around me like a blanket. They were nurturing, familiar, and comforting. They were my introduction to the idea that food is not just nourishment, it is identity. It is history. It is a story that you experience with all of your senses.

On the podcast, I talked about how those early memories taught me something that continues to guide me today. My work is not only about cooking indigenous and Mexican foods, it is about inviting people into curiosity. I always hope that when someone tastes my food or hears me speak, they feel inspired to ask themselves questions like, what did my ancestors eat before fast food existed, what language did they speak, what plants and animals sustained them, what land shaped their hands.

That simple act of curiosity can open doors. It can reconnect someone to a story they forgot or had never fully explored. For me, understanding where I come from has always helped me understand where I am going. It gives direction to my purpose and helps me think about the impact I want to leave behind for the next generation. If I can inspire someone to be more grounded in their own identity or to step into their kitchen with new intention, then I have done my job.

We also talked about healing through food, which is one of the pillars of my work. To me, healing begins with slowing down. It begins with intention. In our busy lives it is easy to grab something quick and move on, but that pattern creates distance. When we disconnect from our food, we disconnect from one of the most intimate relationships we have. After all, what we prepare and what we eat becomes part of us. It shapes our bodies, our energy, and even our emotional wellbeing.

When we pause and bring care back into the process, something shifts. Our nervous system responds. Our spirit responds. Food becomes more than a task. It becomes a moment of presence. It becomes a way to honor the stories that came before us and to bring our own stories into the world with intention.

Being featured on Beyond the Art reminded me why I do what I do. My culinary work is rooted in culture, family, and community, but more than anything, it is rooted in the belief that food can heal. Food can bring us home. Food can remind us who we are.

I hope this episode encourages people to explore their own roots, ask their own questions, and step into their kitchens with more curiosity and care.

With gratitude,

Chef Pyet