Chef Jeff Henderson: From Prison to the Food Network

Chef Jeff Henderson with Valerie Phillips

ORLANDO--It's a long road from prison for dealing drugs, to a cooking show on the Food Network. Chef Jeff Henderson did it the hard way, and he credits the "power of food," with helping to turn his life around.  He shared some of his experiences and his cooking expertise during a media seminar at the Pillsbury Bake-off in Orlando. 

Chef Jeff Henderson's cooking demo.

"My life is built on second chances," he told his audience of food writers. "I grew up in poverty in Los Angeles.  My father left when I was young, I got involved with the wrong crowd, and I ended up serving nearly ten years in prison. That's where I found redemption."

That's where he read his first book and earned a high school diploma. When he got put on "pots and pans" duty, he discovered a passion for cooking.

When he got out of prison, he started at the bottom, learning from chefs along the way. He worked his way up to become the first African-American chef de cuisine at Caesar's Palace,  and later executive chef of Café Bellagio, both in Las Vegas.

He wrote about his experiences in an autobiography, "Cooked: From the Streets to the Stove, from Cocaine to Foie Gras."

He was invited to talk about his book on "Oprah" — "And you know what happens when someone goes on Oprah," he added.  Right after the show, he received two phone calls. One was from film star Will Smith, with an offer to buy the rights to turn Henderson's story into a motion picture.

The other call was from the Food Network.

On the Food Network's "The Chef Jeff Project," Henderson takes six at-risk people to work in his catering company, teach them cooking and life skills, "to allow them to go out and compete and pursue the American dream," he said.

The foreword in his new cookbook, "Chef Jeff Cooks," Henderson names and thanks the many chefs he worked under, "who gave me the skills and the opportunity to fed my family. I will never forget the impact you have had on my life."

 With Henderson's upbeat personality, the father of four was the perfect representative for General Electric, which is focusing more of its marketing strategy on male cooks these days. Henderson showed how to cook pan-roasted New York strip steak and barbecued shrimp scampi on General Electric's new Café appliance line.

Julie Meunnich, GE product manager, said more men are getting into the kitchen because of the role models such as Henderson on the Food Network and other popular TV cooking shows. Also, the economy brought layoffs in construction and financial jobs traditionally occupied by men. The female became the main breadwinner in some households, "and the male is at home doing the cooking."

A recent General Electric  ad was obviously geared toward men, using terms such as  "turbo-charged," and "culinary power house."

General Electric is also focusing on the "aspirer" cook who wants to be a great cook, and wants to buy the latest in appliances to help them accomplish it.

As expected, there are more bells and whistles in GE's appliances, such as a 20,000 BTU tri-ring burner (offering three rings of flame), double ovens, and a refrigerator that dispenses both hot and cold water.

I could be wrong, but for some reason I can't see an out-of work guy complaining to his wife that he needs a new fancy oven. But I do think there are a lot of  "aspirers" people out there who have fun improving their cooking skills, and would enjoy using some of the snazzy new features.

In addition to "aspirers," GE identified three other consumer types:

- the "laborer," who cooks but doesn't enjoy it and just wants their appliances to be reliable

- the  "reluctant," person who doesn't enjoy cooking and considers their kitchen appliances as pieces of furniture

- the "enthusiast," who loves cooking and already had the skills and abilities to do it.

Here's the recipe Barbecued Shrimp Scampi that Henderson cooked for us, from his cookbook,  "Chef Jeff Cooks:"

BARBECUED SHRIMP SCAMPI

6-8 tablespoons unsalted butter

12 jumbo shrimp

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

2 tablespoons finely minced garlic

1/4 cup white wine (or chicken stock)

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup diced and seeded tomatoes

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

1/4 cup Smoked Molasses Barbecue Sauce (see recipe below)

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp, onion and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes. The shrimp will begin to plump up a bit.

Add the wine or stock, lemon zest and juice, and 4 tablespoons more butter. Reduce the heat and gently sauté the shrimp until the sauce thickens. If the sauce is too thin, add 1-2 tablespoons more butter.

Add the tomatoes and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the barbecue sauce and toss well. To serve, remove the shrimp from the pan with a fork, place on plates, and drizzle the sauce over the shrimp with a spoon.

* * *

SMOKED MOLASSES BARBECUE SAUCE

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 1/3 cups ketchup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 cup, packed, dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

1/4 cup molasses

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened, 6-8 minutes.  

Add the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke and brown sugar. Stir until fully incorporated and bring to a simmer. Add the Tabasco and molasses. Simmer 25-30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The barbecue sauce should be medium thick. 

Let the sauce cool about 1 hour. Then pour into a blender and puree until smooth. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Pillsbury Bake-Off: My Experience Part 2

The million-dollar winning recipe, Pumpkin Ravioli. It looks a lot better on the  official Bake-Off website.

One nice thing about having a blog is that you won't get fired if you turn in a late story.  I came back from the Pillsbury Bake-Off on March 27, but I've been really busy with a few other things, such as cookbook photos to finish up, newspaper deadlines, a daughter getting married next month, a daughter-in-law having a baby, and  my dad in the hospital. 

So, a lot of my report for the Bake-Off has already been published in the Deseret News.  The grand-prize winner was Pumpkin Ravioli with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream. It consists of a creamy pumpkin filling baked between two squares of crescent dough, and topped with cinnamon-sugar, nuts and caramel-swirled whipped cream.  As usual, I wasn't able to predict the which of the 100 finalists would win.  

Yes, it tasted good, but it's pretty hard to think of any recipe being worth a million dollars. 

Million-dollar prize winner Christina Verrelli with Martha Stewart at a press conference following the show.

One of the judges,  food reporter Jeff Houck of the Tampa Tribune, said the four category winners were all very close in scoring. But what put the pumpkin dish over the top was, "we felt not only was it delicious, but it special and unique. It's the perfect combination of prepared ingredients with that little homemade touch."

He said the judges discussed the seasonality of pumpkin, "But you could put just about anything in the filling, so it could be a wonderful dessert for Thanksgiving or the Fourth of July."

The judges — 12 food experts ranging from writers to an industry executive — evaluated entries on taste, appearance, creativity and consumer appeal.

The lucky winner was Christina Verrelli of Devon, Pennsylvania. 

Cameron Bailey is interviewed by Sarah Carey of  Everyday Food.

Utah's two contestants didn't win, but Cameron Bailey's last-minute dash to the finish line at the Pillsbury Bake-Off March 26 was shown on the Hallmark Channel's "Martha Stewart Show." The Salt Lake man was the last of the 100 finalists to turn in his Bake-Off entry to the judges at 11:59, just one minute shy of the noon deadline. Later when I watched the tape of the show at home, I could see myself in the background standing next to Bailey's runner, waiting anxiously for him to finish his second batch of Bacon-Chicken Sliders with Raspberry-Onion Spread.

"Everyone likes a little drama at the end," he calmly quipped a few minutes later.

The 100 Bake-Off finalists prepared their recipes at 100 mini-kitchens at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando. 

We're waiting in the audience for Martha's show to begin.
They were in the audience (and so was I! as Martha Stewart announced the winners March 27.

Stewart's first time hosting the Bake-Off. When asked what surprised her about the event, she said, "I thought people would be more nervous." 

Indeed. Even Bailey remained calm in the face of problems. Early on, he discovered the GE glass-top electric range was taking a lot longer to brown his biscuits and reduce the chicken stock needed for his onion spread. Then while slicing the biscuits, he cut his finger. Precious minutes ticked by as he waited for the doctor to come, examine and treat the wound, and clear him to start cooking again.

"Those four hours flew by," he said. "I didn't realize I was that close to the deadline."

Utah's Elizabeth DeHart with her fabulous falafel sandwiches.

In comparison, the Bake-Off was smooth sailing for Elizabeth DeHart of West Jordan, who prepared her Falafel Sandwiches with Fire-Roasted Tomato Aioli three times: once for photographs, once for the judges and once to give out as samples for the media and supermarket executives who were allowed to observe on the Bake-Off floor. Several who nibbled on DeHart's sandwiches commented on the great flavor combination and its healthfulness. But only people from Utah caught her meaning when she joked, "It's your bean patty with fry sauce."

The judges — 12 food experts ranging from writers to an industry executive — evaluated entries on taste, appearance, creativity and consumer appeal.

Kelsey Nixon of "Kelsey's Essentials" and her husband Robby Egan, sample some of the Bake-Off recipes. 

Christina Verrelli, grand prize winner.

In a press conference following the announcement, the teary-eyed winner said she tried the "ravioli" concept using raspberry, strawberry and other flavors first.  "The idea of pumpkin came to me, and the nuts added a nice little texture in there."

 The fact that Verelli used several sponsor ingredients didn't hurt: Land O Lakes butter and eggs, McCormick vanilla extract, Pillsbury flour, McCormick pumpkin pie spice, Fisher chopped pecans, Pillsbury crescent dough, Hershey's caramel syrup, and McCormick's cinnamon sugar. 

 Verrelli, 43, said that she and her husband had some lean times with downturn in the economy, and her million-dollar windfall will be used to help them finance their new business, a club called Brownies 23 East.  She was also a finalist in the 2010 Bake-Off.

"That contest introduced me to a whole subculture of people who enter cooking contests," said Verrelli, who has since entered many local competitions. "I have only won with savory dishes so it was a nice surprise I didn't have a jinx on sweets."

Judges had to choose the grand prize from the four category winners, who each received $5,000 plus $3,000 in GE appliances. In the Breakfast & Brunches category, Maria Vasseur of Valencia, Calif., won for her Sausage-Pomodoro Brunch Bake.

The Dinner Made Easy category winner was Donna Wolfe of Hamilton, N.J. for Chicken Empanada Cones. The Entertaining Appetizers category was won by Terri Sherman of Palos Heights, Ill., for Asparagus, Artichoke and Red Pepper Pizza.  Verelli won in the Sweet Treats category.

Verelli wasn't the only contestant who picked up on the salted caramel trend.  Other entries included Salted Caramel Macaroons and Vanilla Malt Toffee Triangles with Sea Salt.

With Smuckers as a sponsor, many entries had savory dishes with sweet fruity notes, such as Sweet and Spicy Shrimp Cups spiked with Asian chili sauce and orange marmalade, Biscuit Corn Cakes with Goat Cheese and Blackberry Thyme Sauce, Cherry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Tartlets.

Finalists also got creative with another sponsor product, Jif peanut butter.  There were Indonesian Chicken Turnovers with Spicy Peanut Sauce (which won the $5,000 Crisco Is Cooking Award), Thai Chicken Subs, Peanut Butter Boston Cream Cake, and the Jif $5,000 winner, Chewy Peanut Butter Caramel Bars.

Julie McIntire of Independence, Mo., won $5,000 in GE appliances for her Salmon Crescent Sushi Rolls, and Brett Youmans of Reading, Pa. . won the $5,000 Eagle Brand award for Orange Cream-Macadamia Torte.

Each finalist won a trip to the contest, a GE microwave oven and $125.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream

4 tablespoons Land O Lakes butter, melted

2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 Land O Lakes egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon McCormick vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons Pillsbury all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon McCormick pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup Fisher Chef’s Naturals chopped pecans, finely chopped

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations refrigerated seamless dough sheet

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons Hershey’s caramel syrup

4 tablespoons McCormick Cinnamon Sugar

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Brush 2 large cookie sheets with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and pumpkin with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Add egg yolk, vanilla, sugar, 3 tablespoons of the flour and pumpkin pie spice; beat on low speed until blended. Reserve 4 teaspoons of the pecans; set aside. Stir remaining pecans into pumpkin mixture.

2. Lightly sprinkle work surface with 1 tablespoon of the flour. Unroll 1 can of dough on floured surface with 1 short side facing you. Press dough into 14-by-12-inch rectangle. With paring knife, lightly score the dough in half horizontally. Lightly score bottom half of dough into 12 squares (3-by-2 1/4-inch each).

Spoon heaping tablespoon of the pumpkin filling onto center of each square. Gently lift and position unscored half of dough over filling. Starting at the top folded edge, press handle of wooden spoon firmly between mounds and along edges of pumpkin filling to seal. Using toothpick, poke small hole in top of each ravioli. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut between each ravioli; place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon flour, dough sheet and filling. Brush ravioli with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.

3. Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

4. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat whipping cream and salt with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the caramel syrup until stiff peaks form. Transfer to serving bowl; cover and refrigerate.

5. Remove ravioli from oven. Sprinkle ravioli with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar; turn. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.

6. To serve, place 2 ravioli on each of 12 dessert plates. Drizzle each serving with scant teaspoon of the caramel syrup; sprinkle with reserved chopped pecans. With spoon, swirl remaining 1 tablespoon caramel syrup into bowl of whipped cream. Serve warm ravioli with whipped cream.

— Christina Verrelli, Grand-Prize Winner

45th Pillsbury Bake-Off

Sausage-Pomodoro Brunch Bake

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

1 12-ounce package bulk reduced-fat pork breakfast sausage

1/3 cup refrigerated basil pesto

1 can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1 14.5-ounce can Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes, drained

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (1 1/2 ounces)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)

6 Land O Lakes Eggs

2 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves

Heat oven to 375°F. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook sausage 6 to 8 minutes over medium heat or until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in pesto. Set aside to cool.

Unroll crescent dough into 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Press dough in bottom

and 1/2 inch up sides. Press perforations to seal.

Spoon sausage into dough-lined  lined dish. Sprinkle tomatoes and feta cheese

over sausage. Top with mozzarella cheese.In medium bowl, beat eggs and milk with wire whisk until well blended. Pour egg mixture evenly over ingredients in dish.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until dough is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil. Makes 8 servings.

— Maria Vasseur, Category Winner

45th Pillsbury Bake-off

CHICKEN-EMPANADA CONES

Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

1/3 cup water

2 teaspoons golden raisins

3 tablespoons Land O Lakes Butter

4 teaspoons agave sweetener or honey

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

3/4 cup chopped onions

1 tablespoon Pillsbury unbleached flour

1 18.5-ounce can Progresso World Recipes frijoles negros y jalapeño soup, drained, reserving liquid

2 cups diced cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers (from a jar)

1/2 teaspoon McCormick garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon McCormick ground cumin

1 teaspoon red pepper sauce

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup sour cream

In 1-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave water on high 1 minute. Add raisins; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave 1 tablespoon of the butter on High 10 to 20 seconds or until melted. Stir in agave sweetener; set aside. Chop enough cilantro to measure 1 tablespoon; set aside.

In 10-inch skillet over medium heat, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add onions; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently or until onions are softened. Sprinkle with flour; cook and stir 3 minutes. Stir in reserved liquid from can of frijoles negros. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the frijoles negros, chicken, corn, roasted peppers, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, garlic salt, cumin and pepper sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Drain raisins; chop raisins and stir into chicken mixture. Cool slightly.

Heat oven to 450°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper or spray with Crisco c ooking spray. Sprinkle cookie sheets with cornmeal. Unroll pie crusts. Roll each into 13-inch round; cut each round into quarters. To make each empanada, place piece of pie crust on cookie sheet, pressing into cornmeal. Brush center with agave mixture. Spoon rounded 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture in center. Bring long sides of dough together, forming a cone shape. Press to seal, leaving rounded end open. Repeat with remaining pie crust, agave mixture and chicken mixture.

Bake 13 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve empanadas with salsa, sour cream and remaining cilantro. Makes 8 servings.

— Donna Wolfe, Category Winner

45th Pillsbury Bake-off

Asparagus, Artichoke and Red Pepper Pizza

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

8 ounces fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1 tablespoon Crisco 100% extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon McCormick sea salt

1/4 cup Progresso panko bread crumbs

1 can Pillsbury refrigerated classic pizza crust

6 tablespoons whipped cream cheese spread

1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 jar 12-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, chopped

3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese (3 ounces)

3/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese (3 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon McCormick garlic powder

Heat oven to 400°F. Place asparagus and red pepper in ungreased 13x9-inch pan; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake vegetables 12 to 16 minutes or until crisp-tender, turning once halfway through baking. Cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, spray cookie sheet with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Unroll pizza crust dough onto crumb-coated sheet; press into 15x10-inch rectangle. Flute edges of dough.

Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut asparagus and red pepper into 1/2-inch pieces. Spread cream cheese onto warm crust; sprinkle with lemon peel. Arrange half of the artichokes, asparagus and red pepper over cream cheese; sprinkle with half of the Swiss and Gruyère cheeses. Repeat with remaining vegetables and cheeses.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove from oven; sprinkle with garlic powder. Makes: 24 appetizers.

—Terri Sherman, Category Winner

45th Pillsbury Bake-Off

           

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My Martha Moment

Martha with staff member, Lisa Wagner.  Thanks for the autograph, Lisa!

   As many of you know, Martha Stewart was the host of this year's Pillsbury Bake-off in Orlando, held a couple of weeks ago. I was there as a guest of General Mills, and covered the event as a freelancer for the Deseret News. 
   Martha's involvement created a lot of buzz, especially with  all the contestants (and those of us in the media) appearing on her show when the million-dollar winner was announced.
  Since I've been covering Bake-offs, past hosts have included Alex Trebek, Phyllicia Rashad, Marie Osmond, Dick Clark, Joy Behar, and Sandra Lee. And although they were all busy filming, most of them seemed more friendly off-camera than Martha. We were advised beforehand that she wasn't going to be granting interviews and answering any questions. 
  However, I was able to get her autograph a cookbook for my sister, Christi Nash, who is a major Martha fan.
    The night before the Bake-Off, she came to a media dinner at Emeril's Tschoup Chop (pronounced Chop Chop). 
   I bought one of Martha's cookbooks and brought it with me on the plane. I kept it in my purse, in hopes of finding the right opportunity.  At the media dinner I chatted with a woman who (I found out later) is supervising editorial producer on Martha's team (see my photo of her with Martha). When I asked her about the possibility of getting the book signed, she said, "Oh, I can make that happen...."


 Suddenly she was taking me over to Martha as I fumbled through my purse for a pen. I tried not to be too gushy when I thanked her, adding that my sister has been a fan since her early days, which she probably hears all the time. When she handed me back the book, she said, "And is this your pen?" and I said, "Well, it's actually the Peabody Hotel's," and she actually chuckled a little.
  

Martha Stewart interviews a contestant on the Bake-Off floor.

  Other than that, Martha seemed pretty reserved.  At the media dinner, held at Emeril's Tschoup Chop, she did a presentation for about a half hour about her new book about regional American foods. We hoped she was going to give out review copies (because that's what authors often do when they are promoting their books). But she only gave one out one copy, to General Mills' advertising director Mark Addicks, commenting that her assistant thought he was "hot."

   During the cocktail hour, people tried to get her to pose with them for a photo, and she gave in a few times. Then she said she would go around to each table during dinner for photos. But, she left early instead.

  Some of the food writers expressed disappointment.  But, I guess Martha doesn't really need the public relations anymore. She is who she is.

Martha Stewart prepares for her show in Orlando, where the Pillsbury Bake-Off winner was announced. Don't you love that hanging "chandelier" of whisks, spatulas and spoons?