"I Find Your Lack of Fondant Disturbing"
Friday, November 23, 2007 | posted by Mike
Duff Goldman is a year or two older than me, so that means he undoubtedly grew up as a fan of Star Wars.
Let me rephrase that, because there is no such thing as a early-to-mid-thirties male Star Wars "fan." Those three movies (let's leave out the recent ones, OK?) were nothing short of an obsession for people of that age, as evidenced by the many, many action figures that I owned.
And so it's no surprise that Duff has converted a couple of iconic Star Wars objects into cake form. The cakes depict the Death Star and an Imperial Star Destroyer. (Which looks like this, but then all of you Star Wars geeks out there knew exactly what the Star Destroyer was, didn't you?) They were made for a fan of the movies, and the folks at the official Star Wars Web site interviewed Duff about the cakes, his career and his SW fandom.
The second page of the interview has images of both cakes link to a slideshow of the Star Destroyer, which is extremely well-done and which apparently came with a complimentary Imperial Shuttle and member of the Emperor's Guard.
OK. I feel like such a dork now.
Labels: Duff Goldman
Mmmm.....Cake
Tuesday, July 03, 2007 | posted by Mike
Often, when I'm working on the house (or, for that matter, goofing off) on a Saturday afternoon, I use either the Food Network or PBS's cooking lineup as "background." It's usually during this block of time that I end up catching parts of an episode of Food Network Challenge. I'm always surprised when I end up getting pulled into a particular episode, considering the fact that I do little-to-no baking myself. The appeal is, I think, the struggle of the contestants who dare to think big with their designs and then have to scramble to realize it.
In a way, it's a little like Name That Tune. Just as that show makes you sit back and think, "He's never going to be able to name that song in just one note," Food Network Challenge has you thinking, "He's never going to be able to pull that cake off." Part of the fun is watching them crash 'n' burn, but there's something fun about rewarding the big thinker who is able to actually pull it off.
Just in time for the upcoming The Simpsons Movie, there will be an episode of Food Network Challenge focusing on the long-running animated series. The episode will debut on July 25 at 9pm ET/PT. According to the press release:
Ay Carumba! In this episode of Food Network Challenge, four professional cake designers try to capture the spirit of one of television’s craziest families – The Simpsons! Just in time for the release of the feature film The Simpsons Movie, the designers have to try to bring the animated characters to life – in cake. The winner will receive $10,000 and have the opportunity to have their cake featured at the star-studded movie premiere in Hollywood! (The Simpsons Movie hits movie theaters on Friday, July 27th.)
Perhaps the best thing to come out of Food Network Challenge is Ace of Cakes star Duff Goldman. In the spirit of the post, that's Duff up at the top there, Simpsons-style. I'll admit he came off a little too "hoodlum" and not enough "rock and roll," and the soul patch probably needs to be scaled down, but that was the best I could do. Of course, the "Duff Beer" t-shirt was a nice touch. I agonized over the eyebrows for something like twenty minutes, so I hope Mr. Goldman appreciates this if he ever Googles himself.
In case you're wondering, the other one is me. I checked with Mrs. TVFF and she confirmed that it kinda bears a resemblance. I'm not sure that's a compliment. I do like me some donuts, though.
Can you tell I spent way too much time on the Simpsons avatar creator on the movie site?
Labels: Duff Goldman
The New York Times Reviews "Ace of Cakes" -- And Kinda Misses the Point
Thursday, March 01, 2007 | posted by Mike
A review by Ginia Bellafante in The New York Times the other day hit most of the main points you would expect from someone looking at the second season of Ace of Cakes. There are the references to the power tools, the outrageously shaped cakes and the eccentric staff. It wasn't necessarily a pan, but it also wasn't a rave for the show.
“Ace of Cakes,” now in its second season, is burdened by its own sense of self-importance. The idea is to present Mr. Goldman as an artist with all an artist’s eccentricities; no simple service provider is he. We are to think of him as the Mario Batali of sugar.
Now, I'm not sure if the "now in its second season" is just a throw-away line or a reference to a perceived decline in the novelty of the whole rock-and-roll bakery idea. Bellafante mentions how far cakes have come in just the past ten years or so, changing from cookie-cutter shapes to over-the-top replicas of buildings, animals and anything else you can dream up. Full disclosure -- TVFF's cake for his December wedding was "reminiscent" of a stack of Christmas gifts with a red bow on top.
The reviewer brings up two of the cakes from this season in particular, the rat and the "punk" cakes, as evidence of some lackluster designs. A fair criticism, I think, but one that could easily be outweighed by the fantastic Wrigley Field cake.
But then we get to the point which has been made a couple of times online and which I know I should get more worked up over but never really can:
But Mr. Batali cares a great deal about what his food actually tastes like, while you rarely see anyone eating one of Mr. Goldman’s cakes or remarking that they are too sweet or perfectly moist or perhaps a bit on the dense side; all of which seems completely irrelevant to his ambitions.
Look, I've complained on numerous occasions about the move away from actual cooking and food on the Food Network. But Ace of Cakes is different, and as much as it might be fun or interesting to taste one of Duff's creations, it's largely irrelevant. Why?
Because, on the show, the cakes are a MacGuffin. No, not a McMuffin. A MacGuffin
I think that I've made an Ace of Cakes/The Office comparison before and I'll do it here again. How important is the quality of the Dunder Mifflin paper products to your enjoyment of The Office?
These plot devices are only there as a means of getting the characters together. And it's the same thing with Ace of Cakes, where the real reason to watch is not the taste of the cakes (your best local bakery is probably as good if not better) or even the wacky shapes they'll come up with (rest assured, they'll be plenty wacky). We tune in because we like watching the Charmers at work.
Maybe you dig the "mid-’90s Internet start-up" atmosphere and maybe you don't. That's fine. But there is no denying that the atmosphere (and the people who create it) is the draw of the show.
Discussing the taste of the pastries in a review here is a little like an early-80s TV writer wondering about Sam Malone's wine list.
Labels: Duff Goldman
"Bake 'n Cake Tattooed Across the Knuckles of His Hands..."
Tuesday, January 30, 2007 | posted by Mike
Usually, I only give the Food Network Newsletter e-mail a passing glance. It's typically chock full of advertisements for Rachael Ray's knife set, links to recipes I'll never get around to making and promos for upcoming shows that I already know about. Today, however, I did notice that there is a new sweepstakes run by the Network in conjunction with Jane magazine that looks like it will be a lot of fun for the winner.
If you are the lucky lady who is selected (not sure if that "lady" part is a requirement or an indication of Jane's demographics), you'll have a chance to hang with Duff Goldman and his crew and recount your story to the readers of the magazine.
You could spend a week at Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, home to Food Network's hit show Ace of Cakes, where you'll learn all about what it takes to create extreme cakes.
Then, you'll tell the world about your time with baker/owner Duff Goldman and the gang when you write about it in the pages of Jane!
The entry page, which is on the Jane website (and offers you 60% off the newsstand price if you subscribe!), features an image of some of the staff from Charm City Cakes and a close-up of Duff with "bake" and "cake" tattooed across his knuckles, a depiction which, in my opinion, is about one or two more uses away from officially becoming cliche.
I do get the tattoo joke, though it's already been done by The Blues Brothers. Of course, really, it has to be done as a joke, because nobody is as big a badass as Robert Mitchum.
Oh...and a big TVFF.com pat-on-the-back to the first commenter who identifies the band and song referenced in the title of this post!
Labels: Duff Goldman
Duff Goldman, Chief Agitating Officer
Monday, January 22, 2007 | posted by Mike
Everyone has their own management style. Some bosses are your buddy. Some are stern and demanding. And then there is Duff Goldman.
From all appearances, Duff runs Charm City Cakes like Robin Hood ran his band of Merry Men. When you're watching Ace of Cakes, you know that work is getting done, but you still marvel at the amount of goofing off that goes on. Just like any other workplace, the tone of the office is set my the person in charge, and nobody will ever confuse Duff with Bill Lumberg.
So, how does Duff get the job done? An interview with All Your TV sheds a little bit of light on the subject. Check this out:
It's funny, I get bored when things are going smoothly, but I love working under pressure.
That got me thinking. Last week's episode included segments were Duff threw a hand grenade into the operations of the kitchen twice. The first was a minor one, when he decided to implement his "blue tape" project tracking system, which received a less-than-appreciative response. The second incident was when he lost the keys to his van, tore the place apart, made a huge production out of going to have new keys made and then promptly found the missing key once he returned.
Now, I'm not going to claim that Duff lost the key on purpose or that he didn't have a good reason to introduce his new color-coded way of doing things, but I think Dr. Freud might have had something to say.
Of course, being an agitator who gets "bored when things are going smoothly" doesn't make Goldman a bad manager. Some workplaces, particularly those that rely on creativity and that work under tight time constraints, thrive on a little chaos. Of course, the key to this is to make sure that you have employees that are able to respond under that pressure. Duff has spoken on a number of occasions about how he hires friends and people who he likes to hang out with, so I'm guessing that he attracts the kind of people who can work hard, play hard and deal with the curve balls that he likes to throw.
Anyway, next time Duff does something that throws the Charmers into chaos, just keep in mind that it might just be part of Duff's plan for success.
Labels: Duff Goldman
M'm! M'm! Duff!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007 | posted by Mike
With Ace of Cakes gearing up for Season 2, promotion for the new episodes (beginning tomorrow, January 18th) is also going into overdrive.
There is a piece over at food network addict that talks about the show's big push of online advertising and the partnership with YouTube.
Ace is also joining up with Campbell's for a promotional campaign. I'm still not absolutely sure what connection there is between Ace and Campbell's (umm...they do make Pepperidge Farm), so I'll leave that to smarter marketers than myself.
Hmmm, this post seems a bit skimpy. I think it could use some....MANTHORNE!
We've talked about our man-crush on Charm City Cakes sous chef Geoff Manthorne before. And, judging by the number of people who come to TVFF.com via a Google search on him, plenty of you like him, too.
(ed. note: Ummmm....disregard the info below...Yuengling comes from Pottsville. Of course, none of this makes Geoff or Yuengling any less cool.) The clickable cast photo currently on the show's page makes me like him even more (is that possible?!?). Go ahead, click on his photo and check out his hometown.
You have to love any place that brings us both Mr. Geoffrey Manthorne and Yuengling.
Labels: Duff Goldman
Twists on Proven Formulas + Likeable New Stars = Food Network Winners
Sunday, December 03, 2006 | posted by Mike
UPDATE: Be sure to check out the comment by Don at the end of the message. Feel free to follow his lead or to add your $.02.All right...I’m tired of “news posts” this week. We all know the true reason to start a blog: Foisting your opinion on others.
A lot was made a little while back about the “loss” of Rachael Ray to chat show-land and the fact that the Food Network was in need of someone to step up and supply the star power. Paula Deen and her party show and the return of Nigella Lawson from across the pond were cited as the remedy.
Prime time programming on the FN has been very good of late, but I don’t think it’s because of some new, glamorous star. Rather, they’ve debuted a number of new shows featuring interesting spins on existing formulas and which star interesting and engaging personalities with whom we can easily identify.
Admittedly, I cringed whenever I saw the promos for Ace of Cakes, with the welding torch and the guitar playing, but the show has been something close to fantastic. With its ensemble cast of quirky “characters” and the built-in storyline of having to complete the cakes for a deadline, it plays out just like a workplace comedy along the lines of The Office.
The Hungry Detective, a riff on the food travel show, may be filling the spot of $40 Dollars a Day. The big difference between the two shows, however, is the personality of the hosts. Rachael Ray was an obviously polished television personality. And it was hard to believe that she was just dropping in these shops and restaurants. Chris Cognac, however, seems like someone you know. And so, when you see him visit a place, it’s a bit more believable. I know that it’s all perception, but I’m more likely to try out one of Chris’s places because it just feels a bit more familiar. Also, when you look at the later episodes compared to the Las Vegas pilot, Cognac has become quite a bit more polished without losing his “everyman” attitude.
But the freshness hasn’t been relegated to new faces. Bobby Flay’s newest show, Throwdown!, has been quite enjoyable. Now, everyone likes to rip Bobby for what I call the “smirk factor.” And, yes, it’s hard to deny that Bobby likes him some him. But the beauty of Throwdown! is that it takes “Bobby” and makes him more likeable because it puts him in a position to lose once in a while. Even on Iron Chef America, when Bobby loses, he’s losing to a trained and accomplished chef. When he loses on Throwdown!, he’s losing to someone like you and me, and that humanizes him.
It will be interesting to see if this trend continues with Dinner: Impossible. There aren’t many chefs more refined and esteemed than Robert Irvine, so the conceit of putting him in an over-the-top situation might be just what the show needs to make him more of a hero. If not, you end up in the same situation that we see with Gordon Ramsay on Hell’s Kitchen, where people just see Ramsay as the heel.
The Food Network is always going to need it’s “aces” or “anchors” or any other sports metaphor you want. But programming a full week’s worth of TV means you need to find and develop new shows and talent. Mary Alice broke the news on food network addict that Ace of Cakes will be renewed for a second season. Hopefully, we’ll hear the same thing about The Hungry Detective soon, too.
Rachael Ray is a star now, but she became popular because people identified with her message of quick, easy cooking. It’s always nice when you can find a natural on-air talent, with charisma and looks, to whom the audience responds. But they’ll also respond when they see themselves on the screen. And that’s a big part of the appeal of Food Network’s current slate of programs.
Labels: Bobby Flay, Chris Cognac, Duff Goldman
More Duff
Thursday, September 14, 2006 | posted by Mike
No, not that kind of Duff…Bob Tuschman (yes, the guy from Next Food Network Star) is a busy fellow these days. He was quoted quite a bit in the article we mentioned yesterday, and today he’s bringing us news in the Baltimore Sun about gonzo-baker Duff Goldman’s Ace of Cakes getting picked up for a second season. According to the article, “The cable channel has ordered 13 more episodes for a second season to begin in January.”
Food Network, always eager to build a new “franchise” in the mold of Rachael Ray, is obviously quite pleased with Duff’s performance so far. The show debuted to an audience of 1.7 million and viewership has continued to be strong, with the show among the network’s weekly top five programs. According to Tuschman:
"It's been a hit right out of the gate for us," said Bob Tuschman, senior vice president of programming for the Food Network. "Everybody in the shop, including Duff, are artists who also happen to be offbeat and funny, and you get behind the scenes in the world of very high-end cake creation. Whether you're a foodie or not, it's just a great world to be a part of."The rest of the article doesn’t contain a whole lot of new info. Odd, because you would think that the Baltimore media have already covered the basics quite extensively already.
Word of the renewal will be welcome news to fans of Goldman, and especially good news to rabid devotees of Charm City Cakes office manager Mary Alice.
Labels: Duff Goldman
I'm Not Eating That
Monday, September 11, 2006 | posted by Mike
Hello, everyone. I hope that your weekend was as crammed full of grilled meat and football as mine was.I did manage to set aside a little bit of time to check out what’s happening around the food TV web world and came across a nice collection of Ace of Cakes star Duff Goldman's cakes at a blog called Neatorama.
Admittedly, I’m not a big cake/pastry person, but I do have to admit that I think Duff’s creations are interesting and creative. I actually like the kind of stuff he does rather than most of the things you see on those Food Network Challenge shows, which are ostentatious to the point of being ridiculous. Not to mention completely impractical. Any time you have to carry your cake up and down stairs to prove that it can be moved should tell you that it might be a bit over the top.
With Duff’s cakes, there’s a feeling that there might actually be a pretty tasty baked product somewhere in that flashy packaging, which I think sets it apart from the “spun sugar” and cantilevered contraptions seen elsewhere.
However, as cool as that Wrigley Field cake looks and despite the fact that he can turn a scooter into a dessert, there is just simply no way I’m going to eat a cake of Mr. Hankey.
Labels: Duff Goldman
Duff Goldman Interview Video
Tuesday, August 22, 2006 | posted by Mike
Just because Ace of Cakes star Duff Goldman is a big-time Food Network star now doesn't mean he's left the folks of Baltimore behind. He's keeping it real with an interview on WJZ TV, the local Baltimore CBS affiliate. And now you can check it out on the station's site.As I said before, we get a lot of Duffers visiting us here at TVFF.com, and a lot of them are coming from the Maryland area. He's certainly a local hero, and the charisma that he shows in this interview certainly hint toward mass appeal now that he has a national platform.
Labels: Duff Goldman
Friday Happy Fun Time - 8/11/06
Friday, August 11, 2006 | posted by Mike
You know, it was getting late and I thought I wouldn't have anything for this week's edition of FHFT. But then...what pops into my inbox?
It's Ace of Cakes star Duff Goldman dressed as a...ummmm...ahhhhh. Just go look. I'm getting to like him more and more.
God bless you, Flickr. God bless you.
Labels: Duff Goldman
The Stuff on Duff
Monday, August 07, 2006 | posted by Mike
We had a post last week on the next big show debuting on Food Network, Ace of Cakes. I was a bit less than enthusiastic about the idea, and a couple of you picked up on that. As you can see from the comments on that post, Duff Goldman has some pretty rabid fans, so I decided to take a look around to find out what I could about the goateed baker.There is quite a bit of info out there on the Baltimore-based Goldman, particularly local stories about his shop, Charm City Cakes. You can expect to see more in the national media in the coming weeks, as the debut of the new show approaches. But these local stories from a few years ago, including one from the City Paper, provide a good look at this early career, including training at the CIA and early experiences in Napa Valley, Vale and under Todd English at Olives in Washington, D.C.
Another article, this one from the Baltimore Business Journal, focuses on Goldman’s success as an entrepreneur. It does a good job of illustrating his creativity, including a hand-painted gold cake depicting Gustav Klimt’s painting “The Kiss.” (You’ve seen the painting before…the poster was probably hanging on your college girlfriends dorm room wall.) It also talks about the role that the Internet had in the growth of his business, working in conjunction with word-of-mouth and avoiding the costs of more expensive print advertising.
Both articles are worth a read, and I do admit that I am now a bit more excited about Ace of Cakes. I still can’t shake the goofiness of the promo commercial, though. I really wish Food Network’s web site had some preview footage or something. Ah well…it will be here soon enough.
Of course, by then we’ll be on to the next premiere.
Labels: Duff Goldman
Who is “Ace of Cakes?”
Tuesday, August 01, 2006 | posted by Mike
Or should it be what is “Ace of Cakes.” Whatever.Since the Food Network runs on a rolling premier schedule, we’re averaging a new show debut every week and a half these days. Next in the hopper is “Ace of Cakes,” which will hit the airwaves on August 17.
The promo ads haven’t gone into too much detail, but there seems to be pastries and power tools involved. TVFF.com’s crack research department (i.e. Google) found a description of the show from what looks like a document for prospective advertisers.
He hates culinary schools, nouvelle cuisine, snooty chefs-and cilantro. Other than that, Duff Goldman loves everything about food. And it shows in Ace of Cakes, our new series featuring one of the country's most sought-after decorative bakers.
Sporting his signature goatee and armed with a blowtorch and drill saw, Duff may seem out of place in a kitchen. Until you see him cook. He operates on the outlaw fringes of the culinary world, combining skills as a sculptor, rock musician and welder for a decidedly "hard rock" approach to cooking. Our cameras enter the chaos of Duff's own bakery-staffed with fellow rockers – to watch him ace on everything from a 7-tier wedding cake to a near perfect replica of Wrigley Field, ultimately transfixing viewers with his energy and artistry.
So, as the title implies, the show will focus on desserts. We can add “Ace” to the nearly-unwatchable “Sugar Rush,” that baking competition where they have to carry the cake up and down stairs and “Sweet Dreams,” which I didn’t know was even on the network (seriously…when is this on?). In other words, they could use a decent dessert show.
We’ll take a closer look as the debut approaches. I’m going to reserve judgment for now, but I’m not so sure about yet another bad-boy chef thing. We’ve seen that before. And I don’t know that having him bake a cake will make it interesting enough.
Labels: Duff Goldman
