Ellen Honea, left, is joined in her kitchen by daughter, Julie McGowan and granddaughters Milla and Darcie. At least half of them prepared the spread pictured here. Julie is married to Connor McGowan. Ellen is married to Albertville Mayor Tracy Honea. They are also the parents of Riley and the late Nick Honea.
Good Cooking Story by Jacqulyn Hall Photos by David Moore
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he Honea/McGowan mother/ daughter duo have all but mastered the coveted balance of beautiful seasonal foods that are healthy and as delicious to eat as they are to the eye. Ellen Honea, First Lady of Albertville, has always enjoyed cooking for her family. “Mom always caters to our needs and requests,” Julie McGowan affectionately says of her mother. “Her love language is food, I think.” A retired nurse, Ellen has meshed her love of health and cooking into one comprehensive way of taking care of her family. “Health is a constant job – not chore – to maintain,” she says. “There’s no magic pill to fix it. It takes work to maintain it.” Ellen finds the most joy and satisfaction in making kombucha and sauerkraut. She thoroughly enjoys both the creative and scientific aspects of the fermentation process. When making kombucha, she gets to mix and match flavors, and as with any fermentation process, it takes precision, time and nurturing in order to produce a delicious result. In the last eight years or so, Julie says, Ellen has “basically changed everything I knew about food and cooking; what is healthy and what isn’t, and the impact it has on our health.”
Mom/daughter cook on same page with healthy, eye-grabbing dishes She started on this healthy cooking journey through Julie’s influence. A vegetarian since third grade, Julie introduced her mom to many of the healthier versions of family favorites, particularly sweets like gingersnap cookies and energy balls. Julie enjoys making healthy food that is not only beautiful, but tastes good; showcasing to friends that food can be all those things even when not processed. The recipe that she has found to garner the most surprise is for her beet hummus. “It’s so pretty,” Julie says, “and so good!”
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ulie has teaching her girls, Milla and Darcie, at the forefront of her mind. One way she is helping her girls understand the differences between whole or processed foods, is by calling some of her healthy recipes and whole foods “strong foods.” Sitting down to a meal with the family leaves no one longing for processed substitutes. Ellen and Julie have every course that one can imagine covered with a healthy alternative; from scrummy appetizers like stuffed pickled jalapeños
and goat cheese cranberry pecan truffles, all the way through to dessert. The truffles are wonderfully creamy, have a hint of sweetness and just the right amount of tang from the goat cheese and cranberries. A healthier alternative to their bacon-wrapped cousins, stuffed pickled jalapeños satisfy the craving for something not-too-spicy with a perfectly seasoned cream cheese filling. When the weather turns chilly, the family enjoys a varied selection of healthy and robust soups and chowders. One of Julie’s go-to recipes is her quick and easyto-prepare red lentil curry soup. Vegan and yet hearty, it’s ideal for a cold day; the warmth from the spices and the soup itself makes for the ideal comfort food.
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llen makes a creamy potato corn chowder that has all the creaminess of a traditional chowder without the heavy cream; yet it fulfills all the classic characteristics that one would expect. Balancing the soups with their apple beet salad drizzled with maple Dijon dressing lightens the fare, not only in substance, but in color and flavors.
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER | JANUARY 2021-22
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