I’ll admit it - I gave a little eye-roll when I saw the first promo. Chef in the kitchen mentors six young ‘uns, talking about a “life-changing experience.” Sounds like the usual reality show hype, right? But after the fourth promo, my appetite was whet. So I set the DVR. And I watched the Chef Jeff Project. It’s about to become the biggest thing on the entire Food Network - it’s a good idea to start paying attention now.

Jeff Henderson, one-time guest on Good Morning America and author of “Chef Jeff Cooks,” is the driving force behind the Project. He’s definitely got the kitchen cred - he’s served as executive chef to both the Café Bellagio and Caesar’s Palace, and now owns the up-and-coming Posh Urban Cuisine. But Chef Jeff isn’t your average culinary connoisseur, because he’s also got the street cred.

Jeff Henderson spent almost ten years behind bars for pushing cocaine in and around his hometown, South Central L.A. For his inspiring Project, Henderson installed six inner-city kids into his upscale catering business, hiring them on as employees.

This could have easily dissolved into screaming catfights, harsh words and harsher realities. One almost expected to see fistfights, ruined food, destroyed dreams and crushed spirits. One almost expected to see the moment that Chef Jeff raged and ranted, losing his cool and pushing verbal abuse to its very limit.

That’s because we’re all jaded by previous kitchen reality shows, where tough love is so far away from genuine affection and esteem it’s almost laughable, where would-be cooks stand broken and battered at the end of a single service, where chefs rage and scream to prove a point. This is not what the Chef Jeff Project is about.

Which isn’t to say that Henderson is made of marble. He was a toughened street kid long before he was a culinary master, a prison chef for many years. He’s trying to run a business, and he doesn’t want to fall flat on his face because his kitchen can’t get its act together. But Jeff stops just short of being too demanding or aggravated with his inexperienced crew. He expects the best because he believes they can deliver. Instead of falling under the weight of his expectations, each one of his six employees met the challenge.

Watching it was something stunning. Shante, mother of four, put her head down and went to work quickly, but wasn’t afraid to jump in for a little on-the-spot kitchen mediating. Quiet, laid-back Alonzo is valiantly trying to rise above his demons, keeping his cool even when his buttons are pressed. And Adam, who spent the first challenge wrestling with his anger and struggling to find his place, broke down into tears before it was all said and done. So did I.

Though some of them had spent very little time in the kitchen before this Project, they met their first task head-on and whipped up a gourmet lunch for the cast and crew of General Hospital. As the meal was served, they smiled with pride and spoke amicably with the eaters (who got to feel good about themselves for chatting up the urban dwellers). When all the plates were cleared, there was a new gleam in each of the six employees’ eyes. They’d succeeded. They’d proved, to themselves, that they can do this - maybe even for life. It’s a lot better than the alternatives.

Brett, for instance, spent years of his life on a meth binge. Now, he lives in a special home for those with nowhere else to go. Maria, 18, lives with neither parent and has little connection to family. To see all their stories (in video), visit the Food Network site.

For them, the Chef Jeff Project opens a doorway to the future. If they successfully complete the Project, they will receive a two-year scholarship to the prestigious Art Institute and receive an education in the culinary arts. There are no eliminations…expect, perhaps, the elimination of self-doubt. Because Chef Jeff believes in them, they can start to believe again in themselves.

It’s a strong departure from Food Network’s other programming, a strong departure from other cooking-based reality shows…and it’s sure to become a huge reality hit. The Chef Jeff Project is being almost endlessly re-ran on the network; a new episode will air Sunday at 10 pm EST.