If you know me, you know that I’m woefully behind on my knowledge of chefs, maybe even especially chefs who have a big TV presence. I think maybe because I work in food, I’m less inclined to watch food TV, and instead watch Twin Peaks or, ya know, Hunting Wives.
Today’s guest, Pyet DeSpain, won season one of Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef; and if you watch the clip of her winning, it’ll be tough to not feel emotional—or at least it was for me. There’s just something about Pyet, and her love of her family, and their love for her—they were in the audience and it was so pure—that just did it for me.
Pyet’s book, Rooted in Fire: A Celebration of Native American and Mexican Cooking, came out on November 18, a couple weeks ago, but it felt a little too on the nose to run this episode around Thanksgiving. Why are we less inclined to learn about Native American cooking and culture around Thanksgiving? That’s a rhetorical question—I know why, but it definitely doesn’t have to, and shouldn’t, be that way. I realized that Pyet was the first Native American that we had on our podcast, which is just really dumb. We’re going to fix that.
Anyway. Pyet is a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Tribe, and she’s also half Mexican—and feels deeply rooted to both sides; her life’s work is dedicated to Indigenous Fusion Cuisine, which combines the food of both her Native American and Mexican heritage. Mark and I had a really thought-provoking conversation with her, and we’re glad to share it with you.
Get Pyet’s recipes for Wojape BBQ Sauce and for Roasted Sage and Maple Sweet Potatoes, here and here.
Follow Food with Mark Bittman on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts | Amazon Music
Comment