Jeff Henderson

Two of the Food Network's new shows for Fall have been announced. The first, features FN favorite Giada De Laurentiis in Giada at Home (debuts Oct. 18 at 1 p.m.). The show is described as a "stylish lifestyle and cooking series that follows her as she plans and prepares meals for her families and friends." I've always been a huge fan of Giada's recipes and am thrilled to check out what she has to offer outside the realm of Italian cooking.

The second, entitled The Chef Jeff Project is an interesting experiment that helps troubled youth. The series will follow Chef Jeff Henderson, a "former prison inmate turned successful executive chef," as he teaches six struggling young adults how to cook.

Highlighting the power and passion of food, the Chef Jeff Project airs on Sunday, Oct. 12 at 10 p.m. Will you be watching?

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Who can resist a Cinderella story? Certainly not Will Smith, who has just signed on to produce The Pursuit of Happyness 2 another rags-to-riches film based on an inspiring memoir. The book, called Cooked: From the Streets to the Stove, From Cocaine to Foie Gras, tells the life story of Jeff Henderson, a former drug dealer who worked his way up to become "Chef Jeff," executive chef at Las Vegas' Cafe Bellagio. Apparently, he used his prison sentence to learn the ins and outs of gourmet cooking.

It actually looks like an interesting story, and this type of film is destined to cause widespread heartstring yanking and weepiness. Yet it's hard not to see these movies becoming a kind of Will Smith cliche. Currently, it's not yet determined whether Smith will play the lead role, though he's obviously warmed up for it. Ha ha... get it? Warmed up... cooked... Ah, forget it.

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