 |
|
||||||||||||
|
Press Releases POWERFUL NEW MEMOIR TELLS OF ONE MAN’S INSPIRING JOURNEY FROM CRIMINAL STATISTIC TO CULINARY SUPERSTAR
COOKED At age 21, Jeff Henderson was making mountains of cash—up to $35,000 a week—manufacturing and selling crack cocaine on the streets of San Diego. At age 23, he was sentenced to twenty years in prison, where he was assigned dishwasher duty. But long days in the kitchen watching prison cooks at work ignited a passion that focused his boundless energy and gave him a second chance at life. Today, Jeff is executive chef at the renowned Café Bellagio in Las Vegas and the recipient of such accolades as Las Vegas Chef of the Year and the Culinary Award of Excellence. In COOKED (Morrow, on sale 2/20/07), he tells the gripping story of life on the street, behind bars, and on the line. Raised by a hard-working single-mother, Jeff grew up in the projects of San Diego and South Central L.A. surrounded by poverty and crime. From an early age he wanted more, and saw his opportunity in the neighborhood drug dealers who wore expensive clothes, drove fast cars, and rolled with sexy women. Soon he was one of them, selling weed on his way to becoming one of the biggest drug dealers in San Diego. His life of crime ended predictably, but his refusal to succumb to cynicism and anger in prison is a shining example of his optimism and determination. COOKED is alive with the visceral energy of street life, the sober reality of prison, and the drama and intensity of working in top restaurant kitchens. With extraordinary poise and clever insight, Jeff relates the astounding obstacles he overcame to be recognized as one of the best young chefs in America. He also details the development of his groundbreaking “Posh Urban” cuisine, which blends his diverse influences to create dishes like sweet potato pot-au-feu, barbecued shrimp scampi, and chocolate truffles “from the ‘hood.” In addition to his culinary success, Chef Jeff is devoted to ensuring that at-risk youths don’t make the same mistakes that nearly destroyed his life. With his “Reality-Based Education” series of lectures and workshops, he imparts his hard-won wisdom to demonstrate that even the worst mistakes can be overcome. COOKED is sure to be a classic memoir of this generation—part Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, part Antwone Fisher’s Finding Fish, and all Jeff Henderson’s charisma and talent. These ingredients come together in a classic American story of crime, punishment, redemption, and mouth-watering food. COOKED Media Contacts: |
