b'Events That Matter Spr inghistory.ManyofRodgers100-Fianlglplus cookbooks have become runaway Friends of the South Orange Publicbest-sellers.(HisFonduehassolda Library whopping 200,000 copies.) Iwaslucky,Rodgersrecalls.I May 410AM ,May 5 11AM Spring Jewelry Salewas able to turn a passion into a busi-featuring fine, designer, and costume jewelry; cash,ness:aprize-winningbusiness,no credit cards, and debit cards accepted less.TheChelseaMarketCookbook DETAILS Baird Community Center, 5 Mead Street, South Orange;wontheCookbookAwardfromthe sopl.org/friends-of-sopl/ Spring Jewelry Sale International Association of Culinary Professionals, which also cited his Kaf-Marketspace Vendor Events feehaus and The Carefree Cook.May 510AM Maplewood Small Wonder Marketplace:Bon Apptit gave Rodgers its Food and Entertaining Award for Outstand-eat, drink, shop, browse, and support local smallingCookingTeacher.Hisbookfor businesses and makers in Maplewood Village Rodgers Chelsea Market CookbookSarabeths Bakery: From My Hands to won the cookbook award from the DETAILS Maplewood Avenue, Highland Place and Baker Street,International Association of CulinaryYourswasnominatedforthepresti-MaplewoodProfessionals and features more than 100gious James Beard Cookbook Award.recipes from the diverse restaurants at this South Orange Performing Arts Center iconic Manhattan site, May 51PM Pantos Beauty & The Beast: a dying rose,and unflappability soon opened other a clock, a candlestick, and a teapot that talks bring theimpressive kitchen doors in Manhat-story to magical life tan. He became the private chef to the May 55PM & 7PM Healing Sounds in the Loft:popularhusband-wifecomedictwo-some Stiller and Meara. Later, thanks beautifully calming Reiki Energy Crystal Sound Bath Beauty & The Beast tohistraininginFrenchcuisinein May 167:30PM Liz Glazer Records A Special AtParis, he was recruited by the French SOPAC EmbassyonFifthAvenue,wherehe May 178PM Mark Lettieri Group catered trs grand official functionsJune 18PM Paula Cole with a French accent, of course. (Nev-June 14 8PM Lucy Kaplansky & Livingston TaylorermindthatRodgersfamilycame from Lichtenstein. They told me that DETAILS One SOPAC Way, South Orange; 973-313-2787;they mainly ate only what they grew or SOPACnow.orgMark Lettieri Group could forage, he says.)The Writers CircleRodgers next book, Stacked, head-May 96:30PM Author Judith Lindbergh in conversationlined by media influencer Owen Han, is all about modern sandwiches and is due out with art historian and President of Friends of thethis fall. Photo credit: Art by Corie.Millburn Library Dorothy Kelly; live music by Cooper Davis & Friends Now Rodgers is moving on to You-Tube and TikTok. The young today DETAILS Millburn Free Public Library, 200 Glen Avenue, Millburn; 347-709-1923; millburnlibrary.libcal.com/calendar are totally visual, he says. It is my job Judith Lindbergh to help them with their words. The Maplewood Strollers His next book, due out this fall, will be Stacked (Harper Harvest), all about May 9, 10 11, 16, 18 8PM ;May 12, 19 2PMmodern sandwiches. Its headlined by Beethovens Wrong Note: A Steampunk Opera: A crosshot young media influencer Owen Han between Amadeus and This Is Spinal Tap (who has more than 5 million followers DETAILS The Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts, 10 Durandon TikTok), and its equally show and Road, Maplewood; thestrollers.org Frankie Avalons Italian Family Cook- tell. Co-creating Stacked with a millen-book is one of the many celebrity cook- nial too young to remember Dagwood South Orange & Maplewood Artistsbooks Rodgers worked on. Bumsteadstoweringsandwicheshas Studio Tour also inspired Rodgers to update his own Then came the cookbooks. In thewebsite. He is the relentless reinventor, May 11-12 11AM Warren Court Art Walk: 25 localearly 90s, after meeting publishers atalwayskeepingpacewiththeworlds artists display and sell their art on a beautiful block ofFrench Embassy events, he began ed- changing tastes. the Montrose Park Historic District; live music and streetiting celebrity cookbooks. Eventually,ForRoseBennettGilbert,ajournalist food he was invited to publish some of hiswho always locates her desk within easy DETAILS Between South Orange Avenue and University Court,Warren Court Art Walk own, thanks to a nice, fat contract forcommuting distance to the kitchen, this South Orange; 973-493-8655; warrencourtartwalk.comcontd on p. 40 three cookbooks. The rest is publish- was a really delicious assignment.36/ matters magazine / spring 2024'