“Working with at-risk kids is something I’m extremely passionate about . . . and healthy eating is part of my message,’’ says chef Jeff Henderson.
G FORCE | JEFF HENDERSON
Cooking turned the key
“Working with at-risk kids is something I’m extremely passionate about . . . and healthy eating is part of my message,’’ says chef Jeff Henderson.
Jeff Henderson’s journey from cocaine dealer to celebrity chef has been chronicled in best-selling books (e.g., “Cooked’’), magazine profiles (he was the first African-American chef de cuisine at Caesars Palace), and on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show. Henderson, who got out of prison in 1996, has his own show now, “The Chef Jeff Project,’’ which airs on the Food Network. On March 11, Shaw’s supermarkets is bringing Chef Jeff to Boston’s Madison Park Technical Vocational High School to meet with culinary arts students. Henderson lives in Las Vegas with his wife and four children.
Q. What about cooking appealed to you in a setting like prison?
A. You may learn institutional-style cooking there, but the foundation’s the same: flavor, cooking technique, seasonings, and spices. I also learned things like discipline, communication, and work ethic. When I came out, I didn’t settle for working at a casual-dining restaurant. I went straight to an upscale restaurant in Beverly Hills, washing dishes.
Q. Any childhood exposure to high-end cuisine?
A. None. Going out to a gourmet restaurant was Sizzler. I’d never had lobster or artichokes and didn’t know what a Nicoise salad was.
Q. How do you make cooking cool for kids whose idols are LeBron James and Lil Wayne?
A. I let them know that it’s OK to have dreams. That while it’s great to want to be LeBron or Lil Wayne, you need a Plan B.
Q. Do you also talk about childhood obesity and healthy eating?
A. Absolutely. My own children are vegan. I eat everything, because as a chef I’m continually tasting stuff. Working with at-risk kids is something I’m extremely passionate about, though, and healthy eating is part of my message.
Q. Will you do a cooking demonstration at Madison Park?
A. Sure. We’ll have a recipe contest that includes shopping for produce and protein. But the first thing I teach them is the proper way to hold a knife. Very important.
Q. Are you in the kitchen much these days?
A. I cook for a small list of private clients. I’m also putting together investors to open my own restaurant, either in Vegas, the South, or the East Coast.
Q. What might you prepare for a private dinner party?
A. I always start with an amuse-bouche, maybe cubes of seedless watermelon marinated in cognac and topped with diced kiwi, strawberry, and fresh mint. Next, a roasted corn chowder with king crab or lobster. Then a blue cheese green salad with candied walnuts in light vinaigrette, followed by a nice fish like striped bass with seasonal vegetables. For the meat course, molasses-braised beef short ribs with a potato puree. Dessert? Banana tempura on skewers with blackberries, ice cream, and chocolate sauce.
Q. You don’t eat that way at home, do you?
A. Hardly. My kids love pasta, so I’ll saute soy crumbles with garlic, onions, and bell pepper, add some marinara and fresh mushrooms, and serve it with pasta and garlic bread. For myself, I might roast off a chicken. My kids always give me a hard time about eating chicken, though.
Interview was condensed and edited. 
© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.
