15. Tour Time!

Dear readers,

It’s my great pleasure to share with you our fall tour schedule. A few details are still getting filled in, but the bones are all here. We’ll be doing a mix of events: book talks, demos, and even a handful of Heartland Masala-inspired dinners put together by some of our favorite chefs. We’ve been working on this tour since March, and we can’t wait to get on the road to talk about this book with you all!

Scroll down for individual event specifics. Many have capacity limits, even the free ones, so we highly encourage getting tickets and/or RSVPing as soon as you’re able to commit. I’ll continue updating this site and adding relevant links as they come in.

For those of you who live in states and regions we are not visiting on this tour (sincere apologies to our friends and family in Texas, Hawai’i, and the American Southeast), note that we’ll be doing a virtual class from our home kitchen via Milk Street on Monday, October 20—details and discount codes below.

Lastly, please help us spread the word! I intend to remain largely off of social media over the next few months to maintain my sanity, so any word-of-mouth encouragement you can provide to your friends, neighbors, and fellow eating enthusiasts will be deeply appreciated.

Love,

Auyon

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PAST DATES

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Dinner at Pagu (tickets and details) // Cambridge, MA SOLD OUT

A one-time-only family-style menu inspired by Heartland Masala; courtesy of James Beard nominated chef Tracy Chang and her team at Pagu, a Spanish-Japanese small plates restaurant.

Thursday, September 4, 2025

Book Talk at Davoll’s General Store (RSVP and details) // South Dartmouth, MA

A pre-release book talk at the oldest general store in America—in operation since 1793! Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with baker, store manager, and community keystone Mary Ann Buckley. Pre-release copies of the book will be available. Followed by a dinner at Little Moss (below).

Dinner at Little Moss (tickets and details) // South Dartmouth, MA

A one-time-only prix fixe menu inspired by Heartland Masala; courtesy of chef Lisa Lofberg and her team at Little Moss, a farm-driven American restaurant (where Auyon once worked in the kitchen for a couple months!)

Friday, September 5, 2025

Book Talk at Brookline Booksmith (RSVP and details) // Brookline, MA

A free pre-release book talk at Brookline Booksmith, one of New England’s premier independent bookstores. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with Elle Simone Scott of America’s Test Kitchen. Pre-release copies of the book will be available.

Sunday, September 7, 2025

Book Talk at Symposium Books (RSVP and details) // Providence, RI

A free pre-release book talk at Symposium Books, an independent bookstore on Westminster Street in downtown Providence. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with a Nikhil Naiker, the James Beard nominated chef behind Nimki and Club Frills. Pre-release copies of the book will be available. Followed by a dinner at neighboring Oberlin (below).

Dinner at Oberlin (tickets and details) // Providence, RI

A one-time-only prix fixe menu inspired by Heartland Masala; courtesy of chef Ben Sukle, co-owner Bethany Caliaro, and their team at Oberlin, a James Beard nominated American restaurant.

Monday, September 8, 2025

Book Talk at MASS MoCA’s R&D Store (tickets and details) // North Adams, MA

A pre-release book talk at the MASS MoCA’s Research & Development Store. Enter through the clocktower! Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with artist, chef, and farmer Tu Le. Pre-release copies of the book will be available. Followed by a dinner at STATE (below).

Dinner at STATE (tickets and details) // North Adams, MA SOLD OUT

A one-time-only prix fixe menu inspired by Heartland Masala; courtesy of chef/co-owner Tu Le and his team at STATE, a restaurant focused on local ingredients and centered around the West Coast sensibilities of its owners.

Tuesday, September 9, 2025 (RELEASE DAY!)

Book Talk + Dinner at Daily Operation (details; no RSVP needed) // Easthampton, MA

A free book talk at Daily Operation, Auyon’s favorite local Pioneer Valley restaurant. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with Senior Literary Agent and local cookbook hero Sally Ekus. Following the talk, a one-time-only à la carte menu inspired by Heartland Masala will be available for purchase, courtesy of chef Dave Schrier. Copies of the book will be available on-site via High Five Books (pre-orders will be brought to the restaurant for signing and personalization—link here!)

Thursday, September 11, 2025

Book + Spice Talk at The Word Barn (tickets and details) // Exeter, NH

A special book-and-spice talk at New Hampshire’s beloved Word Barn. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with New Hampshire chef, author, and Indian food scholar Keith Sarasin. Each attendee will leave with one of four specially curated spice jars that are discussed during the evening.

Friday, September 12, 2025

Book Talk at Onggi Market & Cafe (tickets and details) // Portland, ME

A fermentation shop book talk! Auyon and Jyoti will be in conversation with Don Lindgren of Rabelais Books. Bites will be on offer, courtesy of Spoondrift Kitchen and Friends and Family.

Monday, September 15, 2025

Book Talk + Demo at Vivienne Culinary Books (tickets and details) // Portland, OR

A book talk and live cooking demo at Portland, OR’s independent, woman-owned cookbook store. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with Joy of Cooking author and podcast host Megan Scott.

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Book Talk + Demo at Book Larder (tickets and details) // Seattle, WA

A book talk and live cooking demo at Seattle’s only cookbook shop. Jyoti and Auyon will not have a moderator for this talk, which feels both thrilling and dangerous.

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Book Talk at Omnivore Books (details; no RSVP needed) // San Francisco, CA

A free book talk at Omnivore, the Bay Area’s storied cookbook store. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with designer and friend Frances Baca. Bites will be provided by chef and author Jennie Levitt!

Friday, September 19, 2025

Book Talk at Rakestraw Books (details; no RSVP needed) // Danville, CA

A free book talk at Rakestraw Books, a small, independent bookstore founded in 1973. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with Rakestraw’s president and general manager Michael Barnard.

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Demo + Signing at Foodwise (details; no RSVP needed) // San Francisco, CA

A live cooking demo featuring seasonal produce at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.

Monday, September 22, 2025

Book Talk at Cypress Library (details; no RSVP needed) // Cypress, CA

A free book talk at Cypress Library. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with food and travel writer Jenn Tanaka. Complimentary books will be available, while supplies last.

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Book Talk + Demo at Arvida Book Co. (RSVP and details) // Tustin, CA

A free book talk and demo at the beloved Arvida Book Co. in Orange County. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with Sarah Ahn, co-author of the NYT best-selling cookbook Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family Recipes.

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Book Talk at Ambitious Ales (RSVP and details) // Long Beach, CA

A free book talk at Ambitious Ales, presented by Bel Canto Books. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with Jhoanna Belfer, a Filipina-American poet, former hospitality executive, and founder of Bel Canto Books.

Monday, October 6, 2025

Cooking Class at Cooks of Crocus Hill (tickets and details) // St. Paul, MN

A cooking class featuring 4 vegetarian recipes from Heartland Masala taught by Jyoti and Auyon. A copy of the book is included with each ticket!

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Dinner at Seven Acre Dairy Company (tickets and details) // Paoli, WI

Jyoti will be featured as part of Seven Acre Dairy’s women-led dinner series! The meal will be served family-style, and Jyoti (and Auyon) will be visiting each table over the course of the evening.

Thursday, October 9, 2025

Tasting + Talk at Toledo Public Library (tickets and details) // Toledo, OH

Jyoti and Auyon will discuss the cookbook and answer questions while a few recipes (prepared by a catering team) are offered to guests. Presented as part of the 30+ year Authors! series at the Toledo Public Library.

Friday, October 10, 2025

Cooking Class at Zingerman’s Bakehouse (SOLD OUT; wait list and details) // Ann Arbor, MI

A cooking class featuring 3 vegetarian street food recipes from Heartland Masala taught by Jyoti and Auyon. A copy of the book is included with each ticket! Followed by a book talk at Literati (below).

Book Talk at Literati (details; no RSVP needed) // Ann Arbor, MI

A free book talk at Literati, an independent bookstore in Ann Arbor. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with Michelle Anne Schingler, editor-in-chief of Foreword Reviews.

Sunday, October 12, 2025

Book Talk at 57th Street Books (RSVP and details) // Chicago, IL

A free book talk at 57th Street Books, where Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with James Beard nominated chef Zubair Mohajir. Followed by a dinner at Spinning J (below).

Dinner at Spinning J (tickets and details) // Chicago, IL

A one-time-only vegetarian prix fixe inspired by Heartland Masala; courtesy of chef Dinah Grossman and her team at Spinning J. Books will be available on-site via City Lit Books.

Monday, October 13, 2025

Book Talk at Discourse @ Radio Milwaukee (RSVP and details here) // Milwaukee, WI

A free book talk at Discourse Coffee @ Radio Milwaukee, Auyon’s favorite coffee shop in the US! Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with collaborator and artist Kevin J. Miyazaki, who photographed the cookbook.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Book Talk at Left Bank Books (RSVP and details) // St. Louis, MO

A free book talk at Left Bank Books, the oldest and largest independently-owned full-line bookstore in St. Louis. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with a moderator (TBD).

Friday, October 17, 2025

Book Talk at Rainy Day Books (tickets and details) // Fairway, KS

A book talk at Rainy Day Books, the oldest independent bookstore in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with James Beard award-winning food editor and writer Jill Silva. A book is included with each ticket (or pair of tickets).

Saturday, October 18, 2025

Cooking Class at Billie’s Grocery Midtown (tickets and details) // Kansas City, MO

A celebratory cooking class at a beloved Kansas City institution! Tickets include a taste of the featured recipes and a copy of the book. Jyoti and Auyon will be around to sign books and hang out during the tasting as well.

Monday, October 20, 2025

Virtual Cooking Class via Milk Street (tickets and details) // The Internet

Jyoti and Auyon will be teaching a virtual class from our home kitchen in Kansas City, featuring three vegetarian recipes from the book. Milk Street gave us 2 discount codes to offer to our newsletter readers: RAJMA25 (25% off, but only for the first 50 uses) and HEARTLAND (15%, no usage limit).

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 + Thursday, October 23, 2025

Book Talks at Carmel Clay Public Library (tickets and details) // Carmel, IN

Jyoti and Auyon will be part of the author lineup at Guilded Leaf, an annual fundraising event to support library programming at Carmel Clay Public Library. Events include a Book & Author Evening (10/22) and a Book & Author Luncheon (10/23).

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Dinner at The Restaurant at 1900 (tickets and details) // Mission Woods, KS

A one-time-only prix fixe menu inspired by Heartland Masala; courtesy of James Beard nominated chef Linda Duerr and her team at The Restaurant at 1900, a seasonally-driven modern American restaurant.

Friday, November 7, 2025

Co-Release at Books Are Magic Montague (tickets and details) // Brooklyn, NY

A one-time-only co-release event celebrating Heartland Masala alongside a (fellow) mother-son cookbook collaboration that we can’t wait to read: Extremely Happy Holidays by our friends Devin C. B. McEwan and Sandy Boynton.

Devin, Sandy, Jyoti, and Auyon will be in conversation with Helen Rosner, the New Yorker’s roving food correspondent.

Saturday, November 8, 2025

Book Talk at Bergenfield Public Library (details here) // Bergenfield, NJ

A free daytime book talk at Bergenfield Public Library. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with author, food studies scholar, and NYU professor Krishnendu Ray.

Monday, November 10, 2025

Book Talk at Princeton Public Library (details; no RSVP needed) // Princeton, NJ

A free book talk at Princeton Public Library. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with Ambreen Ali, a freelance journalist and founder of Central Desi, a newsletter by and about South Asians in New Jersey.

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Book Talk at Binding Agents (tickets and details) // Philadelphia, PA

A pair of book talks at Philadelphia’s only cookbook store. (The first talk sold out, so we opened up tickets for an earlier talk as well!)

Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with Pooja Bavishi, founder and CEO of Malai, an Indian ice cream shop. A treat from Malai is included with each ticket!

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Book Talk at Bold Fork Books (tickets and details) // Washington, D.C.

A book talk at Washington DC’s only culinary bookshop. Jyoti and Auyon will be in conversation with chef and restaurateur Dante Datta. Our final tour stop of 2025!