DUFF GOLDMAN - Kindness MATTERS

The Food Network star shares his thoughts on success, lessons learned and giving back

Duff Goldman didn’t set out to become a celebrity baker. “I got a degree in history and philosophy,” he tells Closer. “I think the thing about college is that I wasn’t really trying to learn something that I was going to be doing for the rest of my life. I was just trying to figure out how to grow up and how to become an adult.” The future Food Network star eventually found his footing in the culinary world and debuted on TV’s Ace of Cakes in 2006, where his charm, unbridled enthusiasm and ready humor made him a star. “When I’m filming, I really try to connect with the people at home watching,” says Duff, 49, who hosts two holiday competition series on the network, The Elf on the Shelf: Sweet Showdown and Holiday Baking Championship.

Who inspired your culinary career?

Oh man, lots of people, like my great- grandmother. A lot of her recipes are up on Food Network’s website, like her strudel and her babka. My mom was the one who really taught us that food was important. For all of the holidays, my mom cooked. When you grow up eating good food and then you get out and you go to eat at a friend’s house or you’re eating at school, you realize, “Wow, the food at my house is so much better.” My mom was really instrumental in making sure I knew what good food was.

When did you start cooking professionally?

I started cooking when I was 14½, and I got my first job at McDonald’s. I later worked at a bunch of different fast-food restaurants. When I got to college, I wanted to be a chef, so I got a job in a really nice restaurant in Baltimore called Savannah. That’s where I discovered my love of baking. I really enjoyed it, and I could tell this was something I was good at.