MENDOCINO CO., 11/29/25 – Reality cooking show winner Pyet DeSpain is showcasing her bicultural heritage in a new cookbook, “Rooted in Fire: A Celebration of Native American and Mexican Cooking.”
The winner of the Gordon Ramsay–hosted “Next Level Chef,” DeSpain’s debut cookbook features more than 60 recipes, ranging from traditional dishes rooted in ancient foodways to recipes that developed out of colonization and forced relocation.
The new book not only shares recipes but also stories from DeSpain’s life.
DeSpain is a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. She grew up in Kansas City and on the Osage Nation Reservation in Oklahoma. Her grandmother Shirley was Mexican, and her grandma Barbara was Native. She credits the two women with helping deepen her understanding of her family’s culinary traditions.
She shares stories of growing up homeless, finding her inner chef and attending culinary school, and the success she has found as a chef.
Recipes featured in the book include bison and sweet corn soup, fry bread, Mexican chocolate cake and corn silk tea. Ingredients range from dandelion greens and sunchokes to venison and mezcal.
“This is more than just a cookbook,” Pyet said upon the book’s release in November. “It’s giving a voice to Indigenous people, while also highlighting the fusion of my two cultures with fire and purpose.”
“Rooted in Fire: A Celebration of Native American and Mexican Cooking” by Pyet DeSpain retails for $27.99 and is available online and at bookstores nationwide. More information is available at https://www.pyetsplate.com/.
I guess this is a paid product placement?
Who is “Pyet” “DeSpain”? How is she connected to Mendocino County or the Emerald Triangle in any way? If she’s not connected here, why is this random cookbook newsvertisement appearing here?