I don't have cable but...

This weekend I made an appearance at the Circle of Sisters Expo in New York City and had the pleasure of meeting an extraordinary man. None other than crack dealer turned executive chef, turned author, turned savior of lost souls. Yes, for two hours I sat next to Chef Jeff Henderson author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Cooked: From the Streets to the Stove, From Cocaine to Foie Gras (HarperPaperbacks) and a brand new cookbook, Chef Jeff Cooks (Scribner).

Even though Chef Jeff recently inked a deal with Will Smith to bring his unbelievable story to the big screen, he hasn't turned his back on his past. In fact, his brand new TV Food Network show, The Chef Jeff Project is kind of his way of giving back. On the show Mr. Henderson brings six at-risk youth (which means former drug dealers, users and more) into his swanky catering company and tries to give them the same opportunity at redemption that he found himself in the kitchen. All of the contestants, if they finish his grueling 6-weeks of "culinary boot camp," receive a scholarship to a culinary school.

I haven't even seen the first episode of the show and I get all teary eyed just thinking about it. And you know the Meltingpot is all over it because these at-risk youth come in every color of the rainbow proving that bad luck and bad behavior don't discriminate. And likewise, if given a chance at something better, anyone can succeed.

I don't have cable but if I did, I'd be watching The Chef Jeff Project. If you're watching, let me know how it goes. I'm sure it's going to be a hit.

Peace!