Shannon Allen's Stuff

Shannon Allen isn't content to simply sit on the sidelines and look hot - and her quest for beauty runs deeper than the traditional basketball wives' fare of Manolo pumps and Prada bags. The wife of Celtics star shooter Ray Allen may be a member of the local glitterati, but this busy lady puts family, faith, and philanthropy before bling. Mix in the Allens' production business, the aptly named Life After Basketball Entertainment, and Shannon's independent record label, New Music Chronicles, and you begin to wonder if the tiny dynamo has any downtime at all.

Shannon recently debuted her cooking show, The Pre-Game Meal, which she executive produced along with her hubby. She hosts each episode, teaming up with a guest chef like Ming Tsai or a pro athlete to create yummy, healthy dishes. (Who knew Youk could cook?) The show, which airs on Comcast SportsNet at 7 p.m. on Sundays and on NECN at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. on Sundays, seems a natural fit for Shannon, who believes that a family's finest moments happen around a table. The Pre-Game Meal took six years to develop, roadblocked only by their middle son Walker's diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes; they got the news in Los Angeles during the 2008 NBA Finals (which the Celts went on to win). With her son's life on the line, Shannon has studied up on the relationship between food and lasting health, and she incorporates tips on healthy living and cooking throughout the show.

Food is spiritual for Shannon; so is life in general. Her most prized possession is a strand of iridescent rosary beads given to her by her maternal grandmother, the late Doris Silva.  We thought it appropriate to catch up with Shannon on a Sunday morning to discuss the universe and peace over pancakes.

You and Ray seem to have an atypical perception of wealth, trimmings of a super successful life aside. Ray is a philosopher, and he is constantly questioning the meaning of wealth. We are not motivated by things but rather by people, and especially family. My grandmother who gave me the rosary gathered friends and loved ones around her like these beads. Some beads are faded, some are chipped, but they are bound together - a metaphor for the people in our lives we cherish and trust.

What prompted her to give you the rosary? My first creative love is and will always be music. At Northeastern University, I was member of a girl group, Shades, and we had just signed with Motown Records. The lifestyle was insane, and we were constantly travelling to promote our music and hit recordings. Even though I was living my dream, I developed a fear of flying, especially of prop planes. Pilots will fly through any weather to get to a gig. My grandmother had the beads blessed and gave them to me to help me overcome anxiety. They have logged a lot of miles.

Have you ever parted with them? No. They have been a companion with me throughout my life journey, from television and movie sets to basketball championship games, and even into the delivery rooms of our three children. If these beads could talk . . .

What's your most important memory associated with the rosary? My grandmother. She was a healer, a medicine woman, and a great cook. I received my love of food from her hands. She bore eight children and raised six. Even though she was not a wealthy woman, her kitchen was always open to anyone. She is a source of inspiration for The Pre-Game Meal and for me as an artist.

What's the next stop on your spiritual journey, when you leave the PGM kitchen, that is? My partner at New Music Chronicles, Glen "G-Wiz" Parrish, and I recently signed The Goonies, a hip-hop/pop/futuristic-funk duo to our label, and we are working day and night to get these talented guys out there. I am in awe of their genius. Julian "Juice" Ross and Michael Minelli, the two frontmen, play with reckless abandon. Music is my soul's purpose in life. I can never shut off that part of me.

And what about Life After Basketball Entertainment, your production company with Ray? Ray and I have several shows in development. As they say in the business . . . stay tuned.