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Name: Nigel Henderson
Occupation: Private Chef & Caterer
Age: 28
City: Los Angeles, California
ESSENCE.COM: Nigel, you’ve made the transition from calling shots in the entertainment field to taking orders in the kitchen. How did you learn to cook?
NIGEL HENDERSON: I first learned to cook from my grandmother. I was raised in a single-parent household, and while my mother was away either at work or attending classes for her MBA, my grandmother had me in the kitchen cutting vegetables or taste testing. After a few years of working in entertainment, I decided to follow my passion for food and enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu where I recently graduated with honors and went to work in New Orleans
ESSENCE.COM: So what do you love most about cooking?
HENDERSON: I simply have a passion for food, and I love entertaining. I was always the guy on the grill in college and now I’m always the cook at family gatherings or parties at friend’s homes. I get a rush off of others enjoying my creations.
ESSENCE.COM: What’s your biggest tip for cooking?
HENDERSON: Use the freshest ingredients possible and do not over-season; let the true flavors of the ingredients shine.