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Food People, Parent Picks: we ask our favorite chefs, food writers, and industry insiders who we interview in our Order Up! Series to share the products, books, and bites they can’t live without.
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If you read our recent Order Up! interview with Chef Jeremy Thunderbird, you know how deeply he connects food to heritage and healing. Through his Seattle-based catering company, Native Soul Cuisine, Jeremy celebrates Indigenous ingredients and stories—bringing the flavors of fry bread tacos, blue corn tamales, and cedar-smoked salmon mac and cheese to new audiences.
In this week’s Food People, Parent Picks, Jeremy shares the kitchen tool he can’t live without and his favorite cookbooks that keep his kitchen rooted in both tradition and everyday family life.
Do you have a favorite cookbook?
Two come to mind. The Flavor Bible is one of my go-tos—it’s like a flavor encyclopedia that helps you pair ingredients you’d never think of, like lobster and vanilla [Bookshop, Amazon]. The other is The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, by Sean Sherman [Bookshop, Amazon]. It focuses on Indigenous ingredients and regional cooking. He’s kind of like the Gordon Ramsay of Native cuisine—really inspiring.
What’s one kitchen tool you can’t live without?
My pressure cooker, hands down. I use it at almost every catering event. It’s perfect for big-batch cooking, like when I’m making chili or slow-cooking meat until it’s tender. It saves so much time, and in this industry, that’s everything.
Are we talking classic stovetop pressure cooker or Instant Pot style?
Both, honestly! I use a large stainless steel pressure cooker for catering—it’s big enough to can salmon or fruit. But at home, I’ve got an Instant Pot that I use just as often. It’s great for everyday meals.
What’s a family meal your daughter loves?
She’s a little picky, but she always loves barbecue, especially chicken and rice. That’s a meal I grew up with, too. It’s simple, versatile, and it stretches to feed a big family. I still eat rice with almost every meal.
Do you have a spice or sauce that instantly elevates a dish?
Growing up in Seattle, I was surrounded by so many Asian cuisines, and I fell in love with those deep soup bases and flavor layers. I’m a soup-and-stew guy at heart, so I use a lot of those same flavors to build richness: soy, ginger, garlic, fish sauce.
When you’re too busy to cook, what’s your shortcut dinner?
Eggs. Always eggs. Sunny-side up with a little runny yolk—it’s quick protein, and I can throw it over rice or into a sandwich.
Any favorite Native-owned brands you want to shout out?
There’s a clothing brand out of Washington called Generational Trauma—they make great urban wear like caps and shorts. And on the food side, my friend runs Spoonfed Co. out of Los Angeles. They do healthy meal prep, traditional teas, and juices. I really admire what he’s building.
