Chef Jeff Henderson says he grew up in Watts with dreams of having the same luxuries as people in the suburbs — money, cars and bling. He possessed all three for a moment, but they came at a hefty price — 10 years behind bars, starting at the age of 24.
The 43-year-old ex-con made $35,000 a week as a cocaine dealer before his fall, but these days he prefers what he earns as an award-winning chef, best-selling author, public speaker, and now the host of his own show, "The Chef Jeff Project," a recent addition to the lineup on the Food Network.
It's documentary-meets-reality show, featuring six at-risk youths from Los Angeles who get the opportunity to change their lives through a passion for cooking. Viewers will quickly discover that it's not a typical cooking program. In fact, it's quite the opposite, which is exactly what Henderson envisioned.
"I could have been self-serving and had one of those shows where I'm standing up there grinning, showing my utensils and pots and pans," said Henderson, who worked his way up in the kitchen, serving in a number of haute posts, including executive chef at Café Bellagio in Las Vegas. "But everything I do is tied to giving back."
Henderson didn't start giving back as a TV star, either. He spent years helping struggling youths before the Food Network's cameras started rolling. His Long Beach Job Corp. has been recruiting inner-city and formerly incarcerated youth to work at his Los Angeles-based catering company, Posh Urban Cuisine, for the past decade. The first thing the youngsters get is a lesson in what's possible, as Henderson tells them his story: Following his stay in prison, Henderson entered the world of cuisine by as a dishwasher and worked his way up to become the first African American named "Chef de Cuisine" at Las Vegas' Caesar's Palace.
"I want young people from the 'hood to know that you don't have to feel hopeless, no matter what barriers or obstacles in life you come across," Henderson said.
On "The Chef Jeff Project" and off-set, he has been equipping young people with culinary and life skills. By teaching them top chef techniques and allowing them to prepare extravagant five-to six-course dinners at multi-million dollar estates, Henderson says he hopes to "inspire and motivate them and get off their butts and make things happen."
Henderson practices what he preaches. He's been making many things happen-two books, including a memoir of his pre- and post-prison days and a collection of 150 of his recipes. His Posh Urban Cuisine, offers catering customers an upscale spin on southern-styled food. "The Chef Jeff Project" is rolling, and then there are his occasional appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Good Morning America."
So what's next for Henderson?
First drafts of a movie script portraying his remarkable story have been finalized by the same team that made the film "Pursuit of Happyness." The film is expected to be finished in 2010, and set to feature award-winning actor Will Smith.
Even with a Hollywood movie in the works, Henderson is not done making history.
"My goal now is to become a partner of a restaurant on the Las Vegas strip," he said, adding that reaching that goal would mean the first African American-owned spot on the strip.
Meanwhile, Henderson is hoping that "The Chef Jeff Project" will remind viewers that his store couldn't have happened if he didn't become a true wizard in the kitchen.
"A lot of people don't really see me as a real chef, they just look at the story," he said. "Now they are going to know, he's a hell of a cook ... I'm showing the world that I can really burn!"
For more information about Jeff Henderson and the show, visit www.chefjeffcooked.com or www.foodnetwork.com/the-chef-jeff-project/.
Rosetta Riley is a writer at the L.A. Watts Times.
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