Jeff Henderson is an American chef, bestselling author and popular public speaker. He is also a former felon, having served nearly a decade in prison for cocaine.

Early and personal life

Henderson was stabbed in the chest when he was 16 over a gang-related dispute. In 1988, he was arrested by the San Diego Drug Task Force and charged with intent to distribute illegal narcotics. Henderson currently lives in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

with his wife Stacy and five children.

Career

In 2001, Henderson became the first African-American

Chef de Cuisine A chef de cuisine (, French for ''head of kitchen'') or head chef is a chef that leads a kitchen and its cooks. A chef patron (feminine form ''chef patronne'') (French for ''boss chef'') or executive chef is a chef that manages multiple kitche ...

at Caesars Palace. He eventually became an executive chef at several top restaurants including Café Bellagio, where he worked until 2006.

Television shows

The Chef Jeff Project

The Chef Jeff Project is a

Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery, who manages and operates it as a division of the Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks Group. The channel airs both televi ...

reality television program that aired in the fall of 2008. Chef Jeff invites six young adults with rough backgrounds to work as his crew for Posh Urban Cuisine for one month in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. The format of the reality television program is such that all participants who complete the project are eligible for the Food Network Scholarship to culinary school. The aim of the competition test each individual to the limits and not eliminate the competition; Henderson makes it clear to the competitors that the only way they can lose is if they quit.

Family Style with Chef Jeff

Family Style with Chef Jeff is a television show that premiered in Fall 2013 produced by

Bellum Entertainment Group Bellum Entertainment Group, formerly known as LongNeedle Entertainment, was a Burbank, California based television production and distribution company. Bellum developed, produced, and distributed TV projects for broadcast, cable, digital, and an ...

for national syndication in the US. Family Style is an E/I program which demonstrates how good choices in the kitchen can lead to a life changing experience for the whole family.

Flip My Food with Chef Jeff

Jeff "flips" the favorite dishes of award-winning chefs, celebrities, and everyday people to make a healthier version that's just as mouthwatering. This show debuted on September 7, 2015.

Cook Books

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Jeff Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American chefs African-American writers American writers Chefs from Los Angeles People from the Las Vegas Valley 21st-century African-American people