Register

Authors! with Jyoti & Auyon Mukharji

Join us for this special Authors! cookbook event featuring mother-son duo, Jyoti and Ayon Mukharji!

ABOUT THE EVENT:

Enjoy a taste of India—literally and literarily—at this special event with Jyoti and Auyon Mukharji, the mother-son duo behind Heartland Masala: An Indian Cookbook from an American Kitchen. Guests will be treated to a limited tasting of a few select recipes from the cookbook while settling in for a lively author discussion. The Mukharjis will share how their years-long collaboration led to a cookbook that blends traditional Indian recipes, cultural history, and personal storytelling. With Jyoti’s rich background as a beloved cooking instructor and Auyon’s thoughtful essays on food and identity, Heartland Masala offers a unique lens on Indian cuisine in America. Perfect for food lovers, home cooks, and curious readers alike—this event promises flavor, warmth, and insight in every bite and every word.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Heartland Masala: An Indian Cookbook from an American Kitchen is a rich and immersive volume by Kansas City-based mother-son duo Jyoti Mukharji and Auyon Mukharji. This beautifully illustrated book offers readers not only traditional and diasporic Indian recipes, but also the historical and cultural context to better appreciate them. Heartland Masala's most distinctive feature is its tag-team authorship: a yearslong collaboration between an immigrant mother and her American-born son. The pair's shared love of teaching, cooking, and culinary history shines throughout. Their writing and recipes are playful and approachable enough for beginners, yet substantial enough to surprise and educate even experienced Indian cooking enthusiasts. Cooking instructor Jyoti Mukharji chose 99 of her favorite recipes, culled from her 14+ years of teaching Indian cooking classes, to build the core of Heartland Masala. Her recipes hail from all over India, with a special emphasis on the cuisines of Punjab and Bengal. To complement his mother's recipes and recollections, culinary historian Auyon Mukharji introduces a generous helping of culturally-focused essays and vignettes. Olivier Kugler's stunning illustrations punctuate both the recipes and writing, providing easy-to-follow instruction and charming comic relief. Kevin Miyazaki's beautiful photography—an artfully photographed 32-page spread—rounds out the book. Heartland Masala is a bounty for anyone who is curious about Indian culture, cooking, or culinary history. A distinctive addition to any cookbook library, its breadth of recipes and essays will make it a favorite reference of seasoned cooks and Indian restaurant-goers alike.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

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.

ABOUT THE PRESENTATION: Both authors will join us in the Large Glass Community Room to discuss their cookbook. Audience members will also have the opportunity to taste some of the recipes described in the cookbook!