As a little girl, Angela McKeller spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her great grandmother Mom Buck, a woman she credits as being her mentor, best friend, and the reason she went on to become a celebrity chef beloved for her charm, charisma, and creativity.
According to McKeller, she and Mom Buck still talk every week. “She’s an amazing, amazing lady. Since I was a really little girl and before I can ever remember, she was coming over every Thursday and she taught me how to cook. She taught me the kitchen is your play ground—it’s where you can be creative and escape the stress of the outside world,” said McKeller, who resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
Although she maintained a positive attitude, things were not easy for Mom Buck and her family. “When she was trying to survive the Great Depression, a lot of times, they were wondering if they were going to have a place to live. She had three small children, but she didn’t know where the next meal was going to come from. But every time, somehow, some way, she would create something out of nothing and that was how she was creative and it was how she forgot about the economic crisis that was going on at that time.”
Mom Buck’s outlook on life showed McKeller that she could still rise above even the most difficult situations. “It didn’t matter how bad a day I was having, I could be a success in the kitchen even if I was feeling like a failure at school. So, I just grew to love cooking because that was where my great grandmother taught me that no matter what, I was a huge success. She was telling me I was Julia Child when I was four!”
And it would seem as if Mom Buck was right. McKeller, who has worked at numerous restaurants over the years, has been a guest on The Food Network several times on shows like Paula’s Party with host Paula Deen.
McKeller also has her own line of couture aprons, and she recently had her first cookbook published, titled Passion on a Plate: EASY and Affordable Gourmet. The book is geared towards those looking to impress their guests while on a budget.
Each week, McKeller also hosts what has become a very popular podcast called "Kick Back and Kook!," during which she has interviewed famous chefs, like Liz Edmunds of The Food Nanny, and offers tips to help listeners easily recreate their techniques and recipes. The podcasts can be accessed on iTunes.
Fans of Kick Back and Kook can support the show by donating on McKeller’s website, www.kickbackkook.com. Those who donate $30 will receive a couture apron, and “ten percent of my podcast donations go to The Hope and Light Foundation to eliminate Spinal Muscular Atrophy, the number one killer of children under the age of two,” McKeller said.
McKeller’s passion for cooking radiates through every facet of her life, and this includes her charity work. “MS, muscular dystrophy, ALS, and Spinal Muscular Atrophy—and so many others—are genetic disorders that have hit close to home for me and, for that reason, I am very active with charities in regard to these illnesses,” she said.
Over the years, McKeller has supported a number of organizations, from The Shepherd Center in Atlanta to Gilda’s Club, but one charity she is especially devoted to is The Hope and Light Foundation.
“My former husband and best friend…he has spinal muscular atrophy, which is a form of muscular dystrophy,” McKeller said, adding, “So I guess that’s one reason why I’m so passionate about (the cause). I mean, he’s my best friend. I see how it affects him on a daily basis even now. Even if he gets something simple like a bladder infection, that can make him weaker and cause his functionality to decrease. And so I’m just very passionate about seeing his quality of life increase.”
McKeller also said the disease impacted her relationship with her ex-husband. “It’s a large part of the reason why our marriage deteriorated the way that it did. He took an antibiotic that’s contraindicated with his central nervous system disorder and it just got to the point where I was a caregiver more than I was a wife, and it was very difficult.”
With this in mind, McKeller continues to devote much of her time to supporting The Hope and Light Foundation. “I don’t want anyone else’s marriage to suffer or anyone else’s relationship—mother, daughter, father, son, what have you. I don’t want to see anyone else’s relationship deteriorate because people just aren’t aware of how much research needs to be done and how much support these charities need.”
To help raise money for the charity, McKeller often donates her cookbooks, aprons, and even cooking lessons for silent auctions and has even hosted culinary event fundraisers. In fact, from June 2-4, McKeller will be hosting a culinary weekend at the Blake House Inn in Asheville, NC, where all proceeds will benefit The Hope and Light Foundation.
“I chose that particular bed and breakfast because (the owner) recently made it wheelchair accessible. There’s an ADA-compliant room in that bed and breakfast now, and those are very rare,” McKeller noted.
Over the weekend, attendees can participate in beer pairings and tastings with desserts, watch a soufflé demonstration, and try their hand at cooking at an Iron Chef Party that will mimic the television show. There will also be live music, a raffle, and special meals, among other activities. Guests can chose to attend all three days or just participate in certain events.
Those who would like to support the foundation but cannot make it to Asheville can donate on McKeller’s website. “SMA is especially a scary illness because the recessive gene can skip multiple generations, so the parents have no idea they are carriers until the child is born,” she said, adding, “Because the children live such short lives, there isn’t much awareness. I am committed to bringing awareness to this genetic illness and am convinced that together we can find a cure within the decade.”
McKeller also supports charities related to multiple sclerosis and ALS because it has pained her to watch people in her life suffer from them. “MS in particular has affected one of our very good friends, and we’ve actually watched him over the last few years lose the ability to drive (and) have difficulty walking,” she said. “Just watching him deteriorate has been difficult.”
“Also, one of my neighbors, her father is in his mid-fifties was diagnosed with ALS and, within a year, his functionality went from highly functional to in a wheelchair using a sip-and-puff. And they actually ended up moving because they didn’t know how much longer he had. There are so many of these (diseases) out there that people just don’t realize exist, I think.”
Since she became involved with organizations like The Hope and Light Foundation, McKeller said she has come to realize that if she wasn’t doing something to make a difference in the lives of others that something would be missing from her own life.
“I’m always trying to figure out a way to give,” McKeller said, adding that her efforts always relate to cooking. “If I were to give in any capacity other than cooking, I would feel like I wouldn’t be giving a part of my heart. I feel like by giving what I am passionate about (that) I’m actually giving a part of who I am.”
For more information on Angela McKeller or The Hope and Light Foundation, visit www.kickbackkook.com.
