Elizabeth Stelling of Plainsboro is launching her first book on Sunday, April 6, at Tre Piani restaurant in Forrestal Village. There will be readings from “My South By Southwest: A Cast Iron Tempo Recollection,” music, poetry readings, as well as jewelry, soaps, and refreshments. “I came into the world as a party girl and I want everyone to have a good time,” she says.
“If you’ve never been to Texas before, you might feel you have after reading My South By Southwest,” says the book’s description on Amazon.com. “You learn more about Texas than if you went there. It preserves the past without sinking into nostalgia. It’s a gritty description of a poet’s love of a place that is gone, except in her memory and images. It shows the reader how the land intersects with life.”
A chef, caterer, activist, editor, publisher, writer, and organizer, Stelling is also an insomniac, which helps her wear so many hats. She stopped running open mics to create more time for her writing. She hired writing coaches and focused on writing.
Owner and founder of CookAppeal LLC, and CookAppeal Wine & Food Experience, she is known as Chef E. She attended Culinary Arts College in Texas and has more than 20 years of experience in the food industry as a chef, server, caterer, manager, business owner, and educator in wine and food pairing.
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, her mother was a stay-at-home mom for the seven children and her father owned a heating and air conditioning company.
As an English major in college, she trained to work in an office as part of the co-op program during her junior year. “They decided that I could work as a dietitian at General Hospital,” says Stelling. “I could not make that name up.” She was promoted quickly and became the assistant dietitian.
It sparked Stelling’s interest in culinary art and she fell in love with cooking. “I was already experimenting so it took off from there.” Chef E was born.
She wrote her first song at the age of six — and still sings it occasionally. Her first published story was on page one of her high school newspaper — but they forgot to put her name on it.
Chef E’s food poetry has been heard on CroptoCuisine Radio, and her articles on poetry and art can be found in Lamplighter Magazine. She was also published in U.S.1’s Summer Fiction issue.
Stelling, enjoys bringing people together for wine pairing with culinary creations, and enjoys applying her skills and knowledge to community and charity events. She is a member of NJAWBO Mercer County, Princeton Corridor Rotary, Women For Winesense, North Jersey Chapter, and Slow Food, Central Jersey.
Her son, Aaron Dillion, 26, is a student at Mercer County College and has plans to transfer to College of New Jersey next year. He taught in Korea for 18 months and is interested in world language studies. He works at Trader Joe’s.
Her daughter, Anelisa, was born 28 years ago. She had congenital heart defects and endured many surgeries. She died 14 years ago, at the age of 14. The book is dedicated to her. Stelling homeschooled both children when they were young. “The doctors did not want to expose Anelisa to disease,” she says.
She met her husband, Robert, in Texas. Just after graduating from Stony Brook University, he was recruited by Texas Instruments and was transplanted from New York. “We had many things in common and were friends for two years before we began dating,” she says. “He always wanted to be more social so he latched onto me.”
Robert, now a principal software engineer at SRI International, formerly Sarnoff, was moved to New Jersey nine years ago. After renting a small place in Princeton, they soon moved to a larger home in West Windsor. They moved to Plainsboro a few years ago when Jim Weaver, owner of Tre Piani, was looking to rent his condo. “Tre Piani was my first choice for a book launching,” says Stelling.
Stelling based her book launch on a similar event she attended at a cafe two months ago. There was music playing between readings, and Stelling has invited musicians Lance Scott Green, Daniel Steward, and Kevin J. Allan to perform. The painting that Bill Plank did for the cover will be on view. Helene Plank will have jewelry on display. Andrea Hollander will have soaps and scrubs on view. There will be poetry readings by Dennis McDonough. “I like to promote local and organic,” Stelling says.
Book Launch, Tre Piani, 120 Rockingham Row, Forrestal Village, Plainsboro. Sunday, April 6, 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Cash bar. 609-452-1515. www.trepiani.com.
