You’ll Be Making This Strawberry Salsa All Summer Long
From ancestral ingredients to weeknight tables, Pyet DeSpain’s Rooted in Fire brings Indigenous and Mexican flavors into vivid, living conversation.
Photograph by Kristin Teig. Reprinted with permission from Rooted in Fire by Pyet DeSpain. Published by HarperOne/HarperCollins Publishers.
In her new book Rooted in Fire, private chef and winner of Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef Pyet DeSpain shares personal recipes that land first on flavor and ease, then open the door to something deeper. The appeal is immediate. A warm Three Sisters Salad folds corn, beans, and squash into something savory, simple, and deeply satisfying. A strawberry salsa brings brightness and surprise, with lime, jalapeño, and a touch of sweetness that makes it feel built for summer grilling (and hard to stop eating). And grilled corn brushed with cilantro, honey, and lime leans into everything you want off the grill—charred, sticky, citrusy, and just a little messy in the best way.
Photograph by Kristin Teig. Reprinted with permission from “Rooted in Fire” by Pyet DeSpain. Published by HarperOne/HarperCollins Publishers.
These recipes are ingredient-driven and intuitive, requiring only a skillet or a grill and a handful of things that already make sense together. That ease is part of the point. DeSpain’s cooking is grounded in her identity as a Prairie Band Potawatomi and Mexican American chef, and that perspective shows up in the way flavors are layered and ingredients are paired: corn and beans as a base, citrus and chile for lift, fire as both technique and instinct. The through line is fire: not just literal flame, but energy and transformation.
Get the Book
Cover photograph by Emmerson Edmo-McArthur/© HarperOne/HarperCollins.
Rooted in Fire: A Celebration of Native American and Mexican Cooking, by Pyet DeSpain (HarperOne Publishing).
Fire up These Dishes at Home
Strawberry Salsa
When I was competing in the Next Level Chef brunch challenge, I decided to bring my roots to the table and make a Native taco with homemade fry bread as the vessel and chorizo and a fried egg as the filling. Every taco needs some salsa, but since I didn’t have tomatoes, I decided to turn the strawberries I had pulled off the platform into the topping of choice for my brunch fry bread taco. I kept making this salsa way after the cameras stopped rolling. Orange juice brings in the acidity, agave amplifies the flavor of the strawberries, and the jalapeño gives this recipe the hint of heat it deserves.
Three Sisters Salad
When I lived on the Osage Nation Reservation as a kid, I loved watching the grandmas and aunties cook big pots of beans, squash, and rice outdoors over an open flame during the ceremonial powwows and then place their labor of love on the long tables for all to enjoy during the supper break. On one occasion, I noticed a dish I hadn’t seen before. I was drawn to its bright, festive colors and varied ingredients. As I watched the elders and later the dancers spoon the food onto their plates, I hoped that there would still be some of that vibrant salad left for me to try once it was the children’s turn to fill our plates. My eyes brightened when I reached the big bowl and scooped a serving on my plate. I dug in, and instantly fell in love with that Three Sisters Salad. I have re-created that dish here, keeping it simple so you too can savor the traditional flavors of my youth.
Cilantro, Honey, and Lime Grilled Corn
I use a lot of cilantro, honey, and lime because they are one of my favorite flavor combos, creating the perfect sweet, tart, and savory bite. I also tend to reach for honey and maple syrup often, especially when I’ve fired up the grill and am prepping to cook some veggies. I just love the caramelization these ingredients create when thrown on the hot grate. Honey pairs well with corn because it brings out its natural sweetness, but if you’re not into that specific flavor profile, feel free to skip the honey in this recipe to keep it a little more on the savory side.
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