Story and photos by Al Terminiello Jr.
Meghann Celona was born in East Boston, and at the early age of 10 moved to Revere with her parents, Jimmy and Loreena Celona. She graduated RHS in 2010, from there, attended the Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Cambridge, then following that, attended the Boston Career Institute to become a Medical Assistant and Phlebotomist. In 2020 Meghann started working at the Beth Isreal Hospital in the ICU.
The real story behind this talented young lady is the fact that she lives an “old school” lifestyle. Learning to cook from her dad, Jimmy Celona. Jimmy was a well know entertainer for many years, singing and bringing joy wherever he performed. That was one side, James Celona was also a decorated veteran and a terrific cook, a skill he passed on to his daughter, Meghann. Meghann recalls the patience and love her dad put into her education as a cook, also the raps on the back of the hand when her concentration veered off the task at hand.
Cooking is a way to bring my dad back to me. Each meal is her way to remember the good old days, a little singing, a little cooking, and a little wine. Each dish has a very specific memory, a time, and a place is recalled with each slice of a knife, or swirl of a spoon. Meghann’s mom, Loreena Celona joins her in the kitchen at times, and new and loving memories are born with each prepared recipe.
These days, Meghann is cooking on a wider platform than family and friends, she has how to do videos on Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok. She can be found on Facebook as Meghann Celona, Instagram and Tik Tok @Meghanannxo. Her videos are both entertaining and educational. All recipes are complete with what you need and how to do it. Meghann is also working on a cookbook, while she says it’s a never-ending story of sorts because she continually keeps adding more recipes to it. This project of the heart is a dedication to her dad, it was started before he died and to Meghann, this is a must finish endeavor. Her goal is completion by the fall of 2026, just in time for Christmas sales. Meghann is also in the process of getting sponsors to supply products, to help cut the costs of materials and ingredients for her videos. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, contact her via email, [email protected], or inbox her on any platform.
Super Bowl Sunday is a big day for her cooking platforms, offering free local delivery from 11am – 2pm/ or pick up all day from 11am. You can order from her online menu and must be placed by January 31. Meghann Celona cooks from the heart, she loves what she does, and it shows in every dish she happily prepares and offers to her friends and family or on camera. Her video catalog was started as an educational home video for her kids to have, for when she is not around, adding modern technology in place of old-fashioned index card recipes. This intimate remembrance for her kids has put Meghann on an national and international stage, with thousands of followers and fans from around the world. She maintains her full-time job. She’s a mother of two, and a partner to her soon-to-be husband. She offers her skills and information to help others enjoy cooking, to find the happiness in their lives by sharing time with loved ones in the kitchen, like she has with her family. Cooking is not a chore, it’s an act of love, and Meghann Celona is bringing that feeling back to families one dish at a time.