Celebrate Rooted in Fire with Chef Pyet DeSpain during an engaging culinary evening centered on her debut cookbook, personal journey, and Indigenous Fusion approach to food.
A winner of Next Level Chef, Chef Pyet shares the inspiration behind her recipes and how culture, identity, and tradition shape her cooking.
Guests will enjoy curated food and beverage tastings served at stations, followed by a live storytelling session and audience Q&A. Attendees will also have dedicated time to meet Chef Pyet and have their cookbook signed.
Additional cookbooks may be available for purchase on-site while supplies last.
Xclusive Events will also have a cash bar available.
Pyet is short for her inherited Native American name, Pyetwetmokwe. As a proud member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and with deep roots in her Mexican heritage, Pyet’s work reflects the balance of both cultures.
Her approach to food is deeply personal — a blend of identity, history, and the drive to keep ancestral traditions alive through everyday cooking.
Chef Pyet is an award-winning global private chef and the first winner of Gordon Ramsay’s groundbreaking cooking competition series, Next Level Chef.
In 2021, Entrepreneur Magazine named her one of the Top 25 Best Private Chefs in Los Angeles. Her life’s work is dedicated to Indigenous Fusion Cuisine, where she combines the food of her heritage — both Native American and Mexican.
Blending memoir, recipes, and ceremony, Rooted in Fire is a call to cook with intention. Organized by themes inspired by Indigenous philosophy — Keepers of the Fire, The Medicine Wheel, and The Spirit Plate — the book invites readers to slow down and connect through food.
Featuring over 100 deeply nourishing recipes, the collection bridges past and present, honoring tradition while embracing the rituals of modern cooking.
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Storytelling, discussion, curated tastings, and book signing will take place throughout the evening.
Event Conclusion
Preview Cooking Session
The National Institute for Culinary and Hospitality Education (NICHE) is a multifaceted entity combining innovative curriculum with business operations to create synergistic learning outcomes for students and a highly skilled and passionate workforce that will not only benefit NICHE but Wichita itself.
Our mission is to celebrate and enhance our culinary landscape and our founding principles are sustainability, accessibility and innovation
