The Chef Jeff Project Premier
New Reality TV Show on the Food Network about At-Risk Young Adults
Oct 13, 2008
Chef Jeff Henderson, a former drug dealer who spent 10 years in prison, is straight with these young people about who he has been and who he is now.
While in prison, he worked in the kitchen where he gained an appreciation for the possibilities that exist for finding something you love to do, learning to do it well, and being successful in spite of your past.
With humor, toughness, and tenderness, this successful chef, author, and businessman, connects easily with the individual participants as well as with the group.
First Assignment: Prepare a Signature Dish for Chef Jeff
It was inspiring to watch Chef Jeff work with the 6 young people, ranging in age from 18-24, with varying degrees of prowess in the kitchen. They were put to the test within the first 15 minutes of the show by being asked to prepare a “signature dish” for Chef Jeff in 45 minutes. It was a way for Chef Jeff to determine their ease in the kitchen and knowledge of food preparation.
They had the run of the kitchen and pantry to find the ingredients to inspire them. The results went from garlic mashed potatoes made by Brett, a former drug abuser who has been cooking in a rehab facility kitchen where he lives; to shrimp with linguini prepared by Shante, a 24 year old woman with 4 young children and who formerly sold drugs; to the most interesting one...“South Central Sushi” made with spam by Adam, a young man with an abusive family history, an attitude, and a temper.
Catering Lunch for the Soap Opera General Hospital
The first catering job starts the next day by preparing lunch for the cast and crew of the soap opera “General Hospital”. Chef Jeff assigns the fledgling chefs into teams. Two of the people are given specific responsibilities according to Chef Jeff’s appraisal of how they performed in the previous “signature dish” assignment.
Alonzo, who was raised in foster care when his mother was killed and who is attending a vo-tech culinary program, is assigned the role of Chef Jeff’s assistant and liaison for the group, while Katherine, a 23 year old woman and former drug addict who never expected to reach the ripe old age of 23, is assigned to wash the dishes since she has the least experience in food preparation, although she did pull off a delightful looking salad when she found something that looked familiar in the refrigerator…lettuce.
Conflict in the Kitchen
As things heat up in the kitchen, so does the stress level and Adam's temper when he does not know what to do when Chef Jeff leaves to check on the time the cast will be breaking for lunch. It seemed as if he felt abandoned, but the cool, mature demeanor of Shante intercedes and calms a potentially explosive situation.
Lunch for the Cast of General Hospital
The group is quickly brought to attention when the lunch break is announced and they must present and serve the food. The compliments abound with second and third helpings of food and the segment ends with the glowing chef-trainees sitting for a group photo with the cast.
Congratulations to The Food Network and to Chef Jeff
The Food Network has created a program that shows the better side of reality TV, and Chef Jeff Henderson is to be commended for his commitment to mentoring young people. Tune in for the upcoming episodes Sundays at 10PM…the show is well worth a look. Congratulations to all.
