Your Mama’s Kitchen: How My Roots Led Me to the Next Level

There’s something incredibly grounding about being asked, “What did you learn in your mama’s kitchen?”

That’s exactly how the conversation began on Your Mama’s Kitchen podcast—and what followed was one of the most meaningful interviews I’ve ever done.

I had the honor of joining the team at Your Mama’s Kitchen to talk about my journey: from growing up on the Osage Reservation to winning Next Level Chef. We explored how food became my love language, my purpose, and my platform to celebrate both my Native American and Mexican roots.

We spoke about what it means to carry ancestral wisdom into modern kitchens, how powerful it is to reclaim Indigenous foodways, and why I’ve made it my life’s work to challenge the stereotypes around Native cuisine. Our food isn’t stuck in the past—it’s alive, evolving, and sacred.

The podcast also pulled back the curtain on what it’s really like behind the scenes of a cooking competition. Spoiler alert: it’s high pressure, emotional, and incredibly humbling. But staying rooted in who I am and where I come from gave me the clarity and strength to stand tall in that kitchen—and ultimately, to win.

One of my favorite moments from the episode was sharing the story and inspiration behind my Blue Corn Strawberry Tamales with Coconut Horchata Sauce. It’s a dish that speaks to tradition and creativity all at once, and I’m so excited that it’s now being shared with a wider audience.

A huge thank you to Higher Ground, Sonia Htoon, and the incredible Your Mama’s Kitchen team for creating space to talk about food, identity, and representation in such a heartfelt way.

If you want to hear the full conversation, click here:🎧 Listen to the Episode

With love and gratitude,

Pyet