What is chef Duff Goldman known for? Identity explored as he prepares to host Kids Baking Championship
Popular baker and chef Duff Goldman is ready to host the eleventh season of Food Network's young chefs' special show 'Kids Baking Championship. The series will premiere on December 28 at 8:00 pm ET, with 12 young chefs competing in the series to win the undisclosed prize money.
Chef Duff Goldman is known for his dazzling and creative techniques of making food as well as his simple stories detailing the art of baking on various Food Network shows. For example, in Ace of Cakes, Goldman set up an innovative cake shop called Charm City Cakes to help chefs gain experience in baking custom cakes. He also makes many new food recipes, which are ideal choices for a family.
According to his personal website, Chef Duff Goldman believes that anyone can discover their inner creativity and celebrate others through the "fun of baking."
Chef Duff Goldman's first cooking job was at a McDonald's
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Duff started cooking when he was just four years old after watching Chef Tell on TV. He decided that working in the kitchen was his destiny when he was in the second grade. That same year, Goldman almost cut off his pinky finger while carving a pumpkin.
He was initially hired as a fry cook at McDonald’s when he was just 14, in 1988, and was almost fired from the job as he made some very big food products. Duff graduated from the University of Maryland in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy. He then enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone while working in many restaurants such as the Vail Cascade Hotel and Todd English's Olives.
After earning his degree in 2000, Duff became a personal chef, but quit in 2002 to open his own bakery called Charm City Cakes in Baltimore. In early 2006, his restaurant-based show Ace of Cakes was aired and won two James Beard Foundation nominations.
He went on to publish a cookbook about the same in 2009 titled, Ace of Cakes: Inside the World of Charm City Cakes. In 2012, Goldman opened another branch of the restaurant in LA and launched a DIY cake decoration studio as well.
He is currently a judge for both Holiday Baking Championship and Spring Baking Championship, and was also featured in the 2019 culinary series, Buddy vs Duff.
Duff also owns an NGO called No Kids Hungry, which strives to end child hunger. He is also a member of the American Chief Corps.
More about Kids Baking Championship Season 11
The ten-week long competitive culinary series Kids Baking Championship Season 11 will be judged and hosted by Valerie Bertinelli and Duff Goldman. The show will feature 12 young chefs under the age of 13, creating many in-trend and in-demand desserts. They will also prepare famously known sweets and power lunch desserts.
This season will be slightly different from the previous one as it will have an entrepreneurial twist, where the chefs will be asked to make commercial pitches, presentations, and advertisements to customers before being chosen as the winner. Thanks to this, the chefs will learn many important business lessons while baking.
Tune into Food Network on Wednesday, December 28 at 8:00 pm ET to catch Duff Goldman judge Kids Baking Championship with chef Valerie Bertinelli.
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