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Omnivore Books is closed on Labor Day!

Jyoti Mukharji & Auyon Mukharji Author Talk • Heartland Masala

Thursday September 18th at 6:30pm
* EVENT IS FREE TO ATTEND & LOCATED AT OUR SHOP! *


A note about our in-store events:


We offer first come, first served seating in our shop. There will be overflow room outside if needed and the author will be mic'd. Everyone is welcome to attend.

You can pre-order a copy below for pick-up at the event or purchase copies on-site.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR & THEIR BOOK:

Jyoti Mukharji is a chef, teacher, and retired physician. She immigrated to the US from India in the late 1970s, and she began teaching weekly Indian cooking classes out of her home in Prairie Village, KS in 2010. Jyoti has since welcomed several thousand students into her kitchen, and her writing and teaching have been celebrated in press and radio outlets across the Midwest. Jyoti's team includes her husband Jhulan (art director), her eldest son Arnob (grocery shopping deputy), her middle son Auyon (musical guest), and her youngest son Aroop (copy editor).

Auyon Mukharji is a musician, writer, and culinary historian who spends most of his time thinking about food. He studied biology at Williams College and was awarded a Watson Fellowship in 2007 to study self-expression in folk music. Since 2009, Auyon has toured with, and cooked for, the acclaimed indie-folk band Darlingside. He otherwise finds time to work in and around kitchens (and farms) in both his hometown of Kansas City and his adopted state-of residence of Massachusetts.

Frances Baca is a designer, creative consultant, and the author of the Substack Headnotes: Thoughts on Cookbook Design. She has designed and art directed many dozens of cookbooks in her 20+ year career, and was the Design Editor at Stained Page News. Frances holds an MFA in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design, and her design work and writing have been recognized by the James Beard Foundation, the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), the Society of Publication Designers, and the Association of University Presses.

Heartland Masala pairs 99 recipes from Indian cooking instructor Jyoti Mukharji with cultural and historical essays by her son Auyon Mukharji. A heartfelt celebration of Indian cuisine and the American immigrant experience, this beautiful cookbook is playful, informative, and utterly original.

Take a delicious deep dive into Indian cooking and culture with a Midwestern mother-son duo. Jyoti Mukharji has been teaching cooking classes out of her Kansas City kitchen since 2010. Heartland Masala is an artfully photographed collection of her favorite recipes, enriched with droll, illustrated vignettes authored by culinary historian Auyon Mukharji.

Inside you'll find restaurant staples like Saag Paneer, regional specialties like Murgh Rezala (Chicken Curry with Water Lily Seeds and Cashews), and creative originals like Masala Brussels Sprouts. A feast for culturally curious readers and adventurous cooks alike, this inventive collaboration is unlike any Indian cookbook you’ve seen before.