FOOD FOUND HER | CHEF KARDEA BROWN

Food storytelling has been something that we have talked about multiple times. In enjoying those bites, you’re able to get the intention that the chef has whether it’s their style of food, infusing a culture that they represent or are passionate about as well as how they want you to feel! Once you consume it, you have memories that are set that you will come back to again and again!

Chef Kardea Brown is the host of Delicious Miss Brown which gives us recipes and stories about Southern cuisine from the low country that highlight Gullah culture on Food Network! She is also a judge on the same network for Spring Baking Championship alongside Nancy Fuller and Duff Goldman! We wanted to know more about how she got into the culinary industry, her passion for food, having her show, her partnership at PEPCID, and upcoming projects that we should keep an eye out for! We talk about how food found her, coming to TV, being nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award and being a New York Times Bestselling Author.

We also delve into the issues surrounding food insecurity and her attendance on June 12th for Chef’s Tribute to Citymeals on Wheels fundraiser in New York, an annual tasting event, where PEPCID is the exclusive heartburn brand sponsor and 100% of public proceeds help Citymeals prepare and deliver nourishing meals to older New Yorkers in need. She teamed up with PEPCID, the #1 doctor recommended over the counter acid reducer brand, and is proud to support their efforts in the fight against food insecurity with Meals on Wheels America through their $50,000 sponsorship.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s such a pleasure to speak with you as we have been such fans of your show! Where does your love of food come from?

CHEF KARDEA BROWN: It would have to be not only the city that I come from, but my grandmother and my mother! They are some cooking women. They absolutely love cooking and I believe that it is one of our first loves. We have always found ways to spend time in the kitchen. I grew up around women that really loved being in the kitchen and I love food you know! Good food is always good for the heart and the soul!

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a chef?

CHEF KB:  You know, I believe that it chose me. My first initial thought was that I was going to become a social worker and that I was going to work in the not-for-profit sector, in my life. The universe would say that it was a bit of a course redirection like, “this is great, you’re doing great there, but I think that I have something bigger and better for you there that’s going to involve food.” That’s how it kinda chose me and I’ve always loved cooking, but I never thought that I was going to do it for a living! It was kind of like, this is your purpose and this is your mission. Here it is!  

AM: It’s so great to hear that! How did you get your own show, Delicious, Miss Brown which we love and we also love that you talk about your background coming from Gullah influences and things like that. How did that all come together?

CHEF KB: So, I was dating a guy at the time. We are no longer together, but we’re still great friends! I’m pretty sure that I owe my career to him! He signed me up to be on a show for the Cooking Channel and out of thousands of submissions, they chose me to do the show with Bobby Dean and it was all about taking that Southern food and making it light and fresh. He wanted to go to a house of someone who cooked heavy Southern meals and kind of flip that and make it into a lighter meal. So, I did that show and it didn’t get picked up by the network, but the network’s executives saw the show and said, “man, she’s really great! Has she thought about doing food television?” At the time, I was working at Big Brothers, Big Sisters and I wasn’t thinking about doing food or cooking on TV! Somehow, I ended up being on several shows after that and eventually, they pitched me to the network to have my own in the kitchen show and I would say about 5 years later, I got my opportunity to host my own show and now I’m in my 8th season!  

AM: That is incredible and congratulations on your recent nomination for your Daytime Emmy Award as a Culinary Host and in your category is Guy Fieri, Emeril Lagasse, Justin Sutherland, Andrew Zimmern, and Ina Garten! That is amazing!

CHEF KB: Blew my mind! To be mentioned in the same room and category with these greats, with these people that I grew up watching is insane and so it’s a great filling!

PHOTO COURTESY | Pepcid

AM: You’re going to be part of the 36th Annual Chef’s Tribute to Citymeals on Wheels, tell me about this and why you’re excited to be part of it?  

CHEF KB: Oh my gosh! I personally use PEPCID in my life! If you have ever seen any of my shows, I cook – you know I like to fry things, I like my spicy foods and all of the things that give you heartburn and so when the opportunity was presented, I thought it was a no-brainer.

The Chefs Tribute that is going on Jun 12th – I am really excited to be there! It’s for a great cause with Citymeals. They’re combatting food insecurity and that’s something that is very important to me because what I do for a living is to teach people how to cook. I can’t do that for people, especially when the demographic that watches Delicious Miss Brown, it’s usually between the ages of 25 – 56 and even older! So a lot of these people watch the show and I want them to be able to have the opportunity to be able to go to their local supermarket or have food delivered that makes my job easier! I want to be able to show you how to cook it and I need you to be able to have the food in order to be able to do that! So Citymeals is doing a really great job of that and combating food insecurity especially here in NY.

For this event taking place, PEPCID is the only heartburn brand that will be there and they have personally sponsored Meals on Wheels America with $50,000. So as soon as I heard of the initiative and PEPCID’s involvement, I said, sign me up!  

AM: That’s definitely exciting.

What is it that you enjoy about taking PEPCID? Do you take it before you eat something or is it after for those that have yet to use this?

CHEF KB: So, you don’t have to take it before. I usually take it after especially when I kind of feel the heartburn kind of starting. I know immediately that when I eat something, especially at night, I might eat something spicy or tomato-based which we do a lot in the Gullah culture. When I eat my red rice, I know that I will have to take some PEPCID immediately after to have a good night’s rest! Even when I film my show, I’m tasting, I’m eating constantly. I can’t do that if I’m suffering from heartburn. If you have ever suffered from heartburn, you know that it’s not pleasant. I take PEPCID immediately, it works just like that and it makes my job that much easier!  

AM: In addition to you hosting Delicious Miss Brown, you’re also judging Spring Baking Championship on the same network! We’re also huge fans of this show! What are you looking forward to with this show?

CHEF KB: Oh my gosh, Spring Baking Championship is one of those shows that I really stumbled in and it’s an amazing show! I have learned so much. It took me awhile to get into baking. I have always been a savory person, but now I do both! But now that I feel that being part of this show has taught me so much and being on the judging panel with Nancy Fuller everyone’s grandma and then Duff Goldman who is a pastry and cake genius! I’ve learned so much and I’m just really excited about what’s to come with the show and many more seasons! The show did really well last season so I’m really excited about more season with Spring Baking!

AM: It’s such a fun show and everyone is so creative! We couldn’t do any of those things, but we always love hearing Duff talk and how excited he is when he’s eating things!

CHEF KB: Yes! He really does get into it and he’s like the cake genius! He is the mechanics of the show and I feel like I bring in the heart where I’m like, “oh this is good, girl!” You know, that type of thing.

AM: You need both!

CHEF KB: Yes, you do! It’s a good balance!

AM: Last year, you dropped your cookbook, The Way Home: A Celebration of Sea Islands Food and Family with Over 100 Recipes, what was it like working on this project and you’re also a New York Times Best Selling Author!

CHEF KB: Yes, it was really fun! It was my first cookbook so I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, but it was a learning lesson and it was an experience. I’m really happy about it because for so many years and actually decades, my family had these recipes within my family, but we never had a way to keep those recipes beyond word of mouth. So now, there’s a place where recipes can live and I really feel like I’m making my great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother proud by creating history within our families! Being that it is right out of the gate and it made it to the NYT Bestsellers was just mind-blowing to me. A little girl from Charleston, South Carolina had big dreams and I never dreamt that it would be this.

AM: Your journey has been amazing and we’d love to know more about your frozen food line! What’s it going to be and what can we expect from it?

CHEF KB: Oh my gosh! I can’t give all the details yet, but it’s going to be with a major distributor/retailer, and it’s going to be all the things that everyone loves about the South and the low country as many of the foods that you have probably seen on my show or people who have watched it who say, “man, I wish I could taste that!” You will be able to soon!

AM: We can’t wait to see it! Just looking at all of the things that you have done in your career, these are really big moment! Food is such a big vertical at Athleisure Mag, what do you want your legacy to be whether it’s on the culinary side or being an overall entrepreneur?

CHEF KB: You know, I want my legacy to be that I wasn’t afraid to take that leap of faith and that I somehow landed on my feet. If anyone ever has a dream, a hope, or something to aspire to – just do it! I literally did it and I had no clue what to do and somehow I ended up in a very great place! I want my legacy to be that I jumped, I landed, and it did well! If I can do it, anyone else can!

IG @kardeabrown

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

TASTING JOURNEY WITH DUFF GOLDMAN

This month, we caught up with founder of Charm City Cakes and Food Network/Discovery+ Host and Judge, Chef Duff Goldman. As a favorite of Athleisure Mag, we talk about him hosting No Kid Hungry’s Thanksgiving Bake-A-Thon which took place this month! Viewers were able to watch Duff as well as noted bakers and celebrities create holiday dishes and answer questions that enthusiasts have when creating their own works of art! We explore why he is so passionate about working with No Kid Hungry and how he has been involved with them for well over a decade! We also talked about his show Holiday Baking Championship and how important it is for him to provide feedback to contestants while also taking people through the culinary journey of enjoying a bite of your favorite treats! You will never look at your Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in the same way! We also talk about 3 items that bakers should be gifted or gift themselves, upcoming projects and being a new father.

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s always great catching up with you! The last time we talked with you, you were preparing to do Chefs Cycle with No Kid Hungry.

DUFF GOLDMAN: Oh yeah!

AM: Yes and you were talking about how you were getting ready for that. Why is No Kid Hungry so important to you?

DG: You know, we all kind of look at the world and we see problems and a lot of the times, it can be frustrating because generally, on the by and large, people are good. They want to help and people want to do things. Most of the problems that you see on the news or whatever – you have no idea how to help and you’re just so helpless. I want to make a difference and I can’t. I think that when as individuals, we’re presented with opportunities where we can actually and truly make a difference and we know it, then it feels so good to be doing it and doing something, you know!

AM: On Nov 13th you will be hosting the Thanksgiving Bake-A-Thon for No Kid Hungry. That seems like it’s so much fun. Can you tell us more about this event which I know is livestreamed and it’s going on for 4 hours.

DG: Yeah it’s definitely more up my alley than riding a bicycle for 300 miles! Doing a bunch of baking, telling jokes and making a bunch of people laugh – that I’m good at. Riding a bike, not so much!

What we’re going to do is have 8 different bakers and everyone is going to do a half hour demo showing their stuff. Throughout the whole night, I am going to be emceeing and making a Dutch Apple Pie.

AM: Like you’ve said, there have been so many ways that you have supported and participated in No Kid Hungry – are there going to be future things that you’re doing that we should be keeping an eye on whether it’s directly in this holiday season or even early next year?

DG: I am constantly doing stuff with them. A lot of chefs work with them because you can see where No Kid Hungry is operating. When I first started with them, I was in Baltimore and my shop is still there and I got to go to a school where No Kid Hungry was providing a breakfast for all of the kids. I got to hang out and we all had breakfast together with all of the kids right in downtown Baltimore. Then we were all in the gym together where we ate and we got to play a bunch of different games. I was like, “this is actually happening right now! I’m seeing the benefits of No Kid Hungry right here, right in front of me In my community.” For me, that was just so big and it’s big with a lot of chefs because wherever you are, there’s a chance that No Kid Hungry has done some work. It’s great and I will definitely be doing lots more with them. I have been working with No Kid Hungry since 2006 – it’s been a long time.

AM: During the thick of the pandemic, and I’m sure you were as well, a number of people were baking and doing hobbies and all of these because who knew whatof these things because who knew what we thought would be a couple of weeks inside would turn into much more.

One of the things that we enjoyed watching was your YouTube channel for Charm City Cakes where your team was actually sharing their creations. How important was it for you to be able to provide that type of relief to people whether they were bakers themselves or just looking for escapism?

DG: Honestly for me, it was great and it was really good. But it was really for my staff! I was like, listen you guys, I don’t want to let anybody go so instead of just closing up shop and hoping that one day we will be able to go back and start making cakes again, let’s figure out different ways to get to work. So everybody started making videos and I was doing stuff and other people were doing stuff and it really turned into a really fun thing and it was kind of a win-win-win situation. Everybody at home got to see cool cakes, I got to keep my staff employed and everybody got better! Everybody was trying new things. Because a lot of times in decorated cakes, you tend to see a lot of the same things over and over again. Here, everyone got to stretch their wings a little bit and to show what they were made of which is good.

AM: That’s pretty exciting! One of the things that we enjoy is that you’re so busy on so many different sides, but when you’re just looking at the TV shows that you do with Buddy vs. Duff, Spring Baking Championship, Holiday Baking Championship etc. It’s always fun to see you enjoying the treats, but also giving your feedback to the bakers when they are competing and those elements are happening. What does it mean to you to be able to show your love of baking and pushing the boundaries of creativity through all of these shows that you are a part of?

DG: You know, I think I had to make peace with it funnily enough. When I was filming Ace of Cakes, I was in my shop doing what I do, but here I had to think about and figure out what I do – I’m eating these brownies and I’m telling people what I think about it. Then I had to figure out, what was my motivation. One of the things is that I really love it when people understand something on a deeper level than they did before. Everybody has had a brownie. But when you can break it down into the different components – like I can break down a brownie into the different things that I look for.

When I talk about the texture of a brownie and I talk about when you bite down into the brownie and you get that just first crispy level right on top and then your teeth kind of sink in and then it kind of goes moosh and that layer on the bottom usually has a little bit of butter on it that is kind of percolated on and you get that butter flavor from the bottom and a little bit of salt. You know, when you sort of start explaining how you taste your food as a chef, I think that that helps people. I mean everybody can take a bite of a brownie and say, that’s a good brownie. But when you can really stop and think about why it’s a good brownie, I think that it just brings a deeper appreciation that can happen. For me, just getting people to really appreciate the difference between a brownie that you bought at Starbucks that was baked last week and frozen for a couple of days versus a brownie that was fresh and that people really thought about the ratio of chocolate to flour and that we got the right texture, flavor and all of those things. For me, it makes me feel good because I’m educating people on what a good brownie is and I’m also propping up people that are making a good brownie and hopefully getting people to seek them out and don’t just buy the brownie from the gas station! You don’t want that brownie! That brownie’s no good! You want the brownie that somebody made in their kitchen and thought about it and are proud of and that’s good and it also makes me feel good!

AM: Just the way that you broke that down, because we love brownies – the glands started salivating just thinking about it! You took us through a 30 second journey where we’re like, “he is right, there are levels to that. It’s not just crunchy on top and gooey chocolate on the bottom.” You literally took us on a journey where we see that you’re right!

DG: Yeah! Because it’s a thing! I mean, when you take a bite of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, you bite into it and at first, it’s like your canine teeth kind of hit the thick part of the chocolate where it’s a bit thicker so it will go snap. But your front teeth, the top teeth kind of go in the top and sort of goes into the peanut butter and then before your bottom teeth get in there, your tongue is actually hitting the bottom of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and the chocolate is always so thin right there that it has just a little more give so it’s a different texture than the top. And then when you bite into it and that one piece of chocolate goes snap, but because the edges are serrated – you know that zig zag on the edges, that part kind of pokes up in your lip for a second and it gives you a little sharp and that first bite of that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup – I love it, but when you break down that for people, everyone has had that experience but no one has articulated it. When you do, it helps people to understand the food that they are eating and what they’re making.

I think that it makes people better cooks and better chefs because what people try to do then is say, “let me think about what is my favorite thing – there’s this burger that I like – why do I like it?” They’ll start really thinking about all of the little things like – they buttered the bun, salted it and then toasted it in a pan. The inside of the bun kind of has the texture of the outside of a grilled cheese. You start going through everything that makes that burger and the next time that person makes a burger, they are going to make it exactly the way that they want it because they are actually thinking of all of those little tiny details. That’s truly what makes a good chef – being able to articulate things that you like in a bite that other people will appreciate people will appreciate. The customers don’t have to think about the food like you’re thinking about it and I don’t think it’s necessary for everybody to think about the minutia of every little thing that they eat, but to be able to craft something that gives somebody else an experience that you yourself have had and enjoyed, that is what makes a good chef.

AM: You translate that so well and once again, in the example of the Reese’s Cup another favorite of ours – we don’t eat a lot of candy around here, but that is something that we really enjoy!

DG: Haha they are so good!

AM: They’re so tasty and there is just something about it. But you took us on that journey and it’s like, “he’s so right, the canine teeth do hit that part!”

DG: Totally!

AM: So with Holiday Baking Championship which kicks off this month, what can we expect from this season and what are you excited about?

DG: You know, one of the things that I love about Holiday Baking Championship is that we film it in the summer time. I basically love all of those flavors – cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, eggnog – all of those things. I love it. I basically get 2 Christmas baking seasons every year and I just love it and it’s really great! This is a really good one! All the bakers are fantastic, and we have some really good challenges and I feel like Nancy Fuller and I just reached a new level in our relationship where we were just bickering at each other and one of the fun things is that Nancy and my daughter formed a special bond. We were filming in Knoxville, and we brought her out there and Josephine and Nancy immediately connected, and it was really really beautiful and I hope that they show some of that because it was really cute.

AM: Well, that’s exciting and as someone who has hosted and judged so many shows, shows, is there an ingredient that when you hear that a contestant wants to use it that you feel it’s a bit of a red flag and your doubtful that it will work and be a disaster? Or are you intrigued that they will use it and think that it could be cool?

DG: I mean, I always keep an open mind. I try not to let my personal prejudice mess things up. For example, I am not a huge fan of raspberries and chocolate. I think it is overplayed and a lot of time, I think that raspberries are acidic, and that dark chocolate is as well. So a lot of times I find that the combination of raspberries and chocolate is a bit too sour. But that’s just me. Everytime that someone makes it and I ask myself is it well balanced, is it done? It’s not like, “oh I don’t like these flavors, so you don’t win.” It’s like, did you do something cool with it?

AM: With it being the holiday season, what are 3 gifts that you suggest whether we’re buying it for ourselves or for a fellow baker that they should have in their kitchens for baking?

DG: Ohhhhh! I would say, if you don’t mind spinning extra money, a Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer – it’s just night and day. For baking, you will do so much more with it. Definitely a scale – a digital one that can weigh out in ounces and grams. It’s always really good. I would say if someone is doing a lot of baking, I would say a bench scraper – it’s not something that a lot of people have in their kitchens at home, but I think that everyone would find it really useful – especially when you’re cleaning up. It’s great because it has this nice blade and handle that you can just scrape on your counters and it gets all of that dry stuff and it just comes up and you can wipe it down. It just makes cleaning so much easier.

AM: Well that’s great gifting ideas!

Now that you are a dad, how has it been for you to go through this phase and do you find that you look at food in a new way as Josephine is being introduced to new foods?

DG: Yes and no. I mean, just being a chef and a student of food, I’m pretty well versed into proteins, carbs and fats – good fats and bad fats. Same for good carbs and bad carbs. I’m definitely thinking about it more and I’m not giving her Skittles and soda so that’s good! But for the most part, what I think is really good is that I love just cooking for her. I made an old school puree where instead of putting it in a blender, I steamed some carrots, sweet potatoes and I ran them through a tamis and I did it old school French style. It was nice because there was a little bit of texture and she seemed to really enjoy it. Today, I’m going to make a spinach and pear smoothie and see. It’s kind of exciting. We’re going to put some yogurt in there.

AM: That’s exciting!

DG: Yeah, she’s going to eat well. When she goes to college, she’s going to be like, “oh man, I’ve had it good my whole life!”

AM: Pretty much – those dining halls!

Well looing at your portfolio and the body of work that you have created in your career from the shows that you have been on, your partnership with Goldbelly, your bakeries and also your philanthropic efforts with No Kid Hungry, what do you want your legacy to be seen as?

DG: It’s a good question. I think that hopefully, if anything, what makes me the happiest is seeing that I have inspired people to get in touch with their creative side. Not necessarily in baking, but just in anything, you know? I have inspired people to quit their jobs and start businesses and I think that that right there and showing people that there are career paths out there that are not sitting at a desk and 9-5. There’s some cool stuff out there.

I think that one of the things that I was most proud of with Ace of Cakes is that a lot of kids look at adults and they don’t think being one looks like a lot of fun at all. For the most part, they’re right. But they could look at Ace of Cakes and be like, these are adults and they seem to be having a great time! I think that for me, that feels really good. I like that if I met my 7 year old self, 7 year old Duff would say, “wow, that dude is pretty cool.” It makes me feel good and that’s a good measure in general. As you’re going through life and making decisions, it’s always important to ask yourself if your 7 year old self would be disappointed in your right now or would they say, yeah this is right and I turned out pretty cool. Sometimes when you see politicians – I mean would Ted Cruz’s 7 year old self be like, “yeah you’re awesome” or would he be like, “you suck! I can’t believe that I ended up being you.” You know what I mean?

AM: There are so many!

DG: I don’t want to let myself down. I don’t want to let Duff down from 1981 and for him to think that this guy sucks.

AM: Um yeah, can there be a trade in?

DG: Totally! I turned out to be a dick!

AM: It’s like, is that the road that you wanted to go down? It just doesn’t look right!

DG: Yeah! What decision did you make that led you to this point? You should go back and rethink that one!

AM: It’s like, do you have any friends? Because if you had a good one, they would say, “wow you need to rethink that one!”

DG: Dude, what the hell? What is going on with you?

AM: How do you take time for yourself and get that moment of zen with all of the things that you have been involved in?

DG: It’s really important. You’ll never have the time if you don’t make the time. It’s really important to be able to find that time for yourself. I know you wouldn’t really think of it by looking at me, but I am actually insane about exercising. I love to exercise. I love to lift. I have a really nice gym here at my house. I do a lot of other stuff too. I play music and I have a whole jam room studio in the basement and right now I am working on a set of blocks for my daughter.

AM: We saw that on Instagram! It’s so cute!

DG: Yeah! I’m kind of right in the middle of that. It’s a big job!

AM: Earlier this year you posted about this wooden play thing that someone suggested you should buy it, but then you got the tools and materials and made it. You’re a serious woodsman!

DG: Yeah, my wife was like, there’s this thing and we could buy it, but it would be cool if you made it. So I wanted to make it and I ended up spending about $1,000 in tools for something that would have cost $90 on Etsy but it was super fun!

AM: It looked beautiful!

DG: Yeah, I do a lot of wood working – like bird feeders around the house. I had to child proof the house. We kind of live in a cabin, it’s a big A-frame and it’s not fancy it’s from the 70s and it’s a loft upstairs and that’s dangerous for a little kid. So I had to build all of these walls and stuff to keep her from falling off the loft because there are no handrails – no door. So I love doing a lot of wood work and I’m trying to get these blocks done and my wife wants me to make a sensory board for her. Things to play with and things that make noise. I have to finish these blocks because I hate leaving projects unfinished. To put the blocks aside and then move to something else, it doesn’t sit well with me - so I have to get them done!

IG @duffgoldman

PHOTOS COURTESY | PG 92, 95 + 99 No Kid Hungry | PG 96 The Jim Henson Company |

Read the NOV ISSUE #71 of Athleisure Mag and see Tasting Journey with Duff Goldman in mag.

Hear Chef, Restaurateur, Baker, TV Personality and Host/Judge of Food Network/Discovery+, Duff Goldman on our show, Athleisure Kitchen - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

THE BAKER MAN | DUFF GOLDMAN

Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes is no stranger to Athleisure Mag as we chatted with him in this year's Anniversary issue about coming back for another race with Chefs Cycle (a fundraising endurance event May 16th - May 18th featuring award-winning chefs and members of the culinary community fighting hunger outside the kitchen where proceeds go to No Kid Hungry) and how he was preparing for this activity. We took some time to chat with Celebrity Chef and Food Network personality Duff about his role as a judge for a number of the network's shows, including Spring Baking Championship, Kids Baking Championship (to name a few), his partnership with Bounty, National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day and his inner workings as he continues to embrace the magic of baking.  

ATHLEISURE MAG: We loved talking with you earlier this year about your preparation to participate in this year's  Chefs Cycle - are you excited?

DUFF GOLDMAN: Yes it starts on May 16th! I'm so excited it's going to be great.

AM: We can only imagine! Well, we've been fans of you since your first show with Food Network, Ace of Cakes. In our opinion, you're the first baker that we knew that represented an edgy out of the box style with all of the sweet treats that you created.

DG: Oh thanks!

AM: Oh yeah, watching you while we grew up, we were struck with how this guy - not to say that you're not delicate, but there is a certain idea you have (at least back at that time) of what a pastry chef would look like.

DG: Absolutely!

AM: To see a cool tattooed guy busting out with these really cool friends - it was cool. Even if you weren't a baker yourself, it was cool to see that barrier being broken and changing the idea of what it means to work in a given profession. So how did you bring that into all of these other Food Network shows that you have been a part of especially with incorporating kids and making it look cool and fun while taking your ideas from concept to reality?

DG: Well you know, I think that most of cooking is really fun and interesting. It's not that hard to make it seem that way. When the kids are excited about it, it's not hard for those who are watching to see that they are and to want to know more about it. They watch us do what we do and then they're fascinated. It's like when you pick up a new album from somebody - if someone else has really got down on that record and tells you - you really have to listen to this record, this beat or chord progression, then you really get into it because someone you know has brought you something that they think is cool. 

I think cooking is the same way, especially on TV - you've got to be excited about it. I am - to this day when I put something in the oven, and it starts to rise, to this day, it's still magical for me! I still get really excited. When it's working you're like, 'check it out' it's bubbling, moving, growing and cracking! It's doing what it's doing and it's still neat!

AM: Which is cool and we can totally tell that about you because you look like you're loving life! You can tell that you really love the process, the creation of it and the looks on your face - it's priceless. 

DG: Yeah man! It never gets old!
 

AM: We know that the 3rd season of Spring Baking Championship ends this month with the adults. You also judge a number of children's baking shows on the network. How is it working with these young chefs and bakers?

DG: Um a lot messier! Definitely a lot messier - you always want a lot of paper towel nearby because kids are messy. Other than that, the judging is really the same. I'm honest and fair and when they mess up, I point it out. I think that with kids, I spend a little more time on when there is a mistake on how to correct it. When adults make mistakes it's usually a bone head move and they know better. With kids, they haven't made something enough times. They're 10 years old - how much patachou have they made? So it's like hey you put too many eggs in there - don't put so much in so that you don't have a puddle.

AM: Haha exactly! So how important do you think your role is as a role model to them in terms of giving them that encouragement and feedback?

DG: I think it's really important - the kids see me as this big goofy guy, but then they also see me as this expert as it's what I do and what I'm good at. It's really important that I never want to discourage them and I want any challenge that the kids are having in the kitchen as an opportunity for them to learn. So they don't see a mistake as a mistake, they see it as an opportunity to learn something. That's what makes baking so fascinating. 

I'm still learning at the same pace as I was learning back then. Every day, I learn something and am doing something new. I refine my technique, I try something different and it's important as I have been baking for over 20 years! You have to stay awake and if you go on autopilot, you're putting a stake in your career. You have to be present in the moment and mindful when you're baking. You have to just be fascinated by it as that's what it is.

AM: One of the things we really love is when you take your first bite. Your face lights up, your eyes take it in and we can see there are a lot of wheels turning. What is going on in your head at that moment?

DG: It's funny because I love to eat and I love food. I love taking bites and I love it! The thought process going on in my head is that I want to viscerally enjoy this bite! Then I have to remember that I am judging something so I have to dissect it - but I don't want to dissect it, I just want to eat it - leave me alone haha! There's always a conflict going on in my head like - pay attention - but then it's so good - but pay attention! I just want to chew. But it's usually that when you see that look because I'm confused between the two.

AM: For sure when you have that first bite, we see all the synapses firing and you have the best responses coming off of the taste! It also seems tough because you only have a few seconds to take it in and grasp what it going on. Our team laughs everytime we see it!

DG: I know I take these big stupid bites! It's funny because my girlfriend always yells at me saying I need to take smaller bites because I'm going to choke to death. I'm like, I've been taking these big bites for 4 years now, I'm going to be fine. 

The other thing that's funny is that I take these bites - because I'm watching the shows and live tweeting them and when I'm not on camera and I'm just out and when it's a nice restaurant where there is something new or they are trying a new technique - I do the exact same face. I look up at the ceiling and people have said - that's the same face from the Baking Championship! I'm like, "it's not an act!"

AM: Tell us about your partnership with Bounty and how we can keep having fun while we're cleaning on the go or different tips that you have come up with.

DG: Bounty and I partnered up to celebrate National Chocolate Chip Day (May 15th) and I came up with a recipe that would be really fun for kids to make - a Rainbow Chocolate Chip Cookie. I think it's important to get kids cooking and baking to see the work and ingredients that go into it to get them to start thinking critically at an early age about what they are eating. When you bake with kids, they are really messy but you want to make sure that they are still having fun. You want to make sure that you keep their attention. If you're stopping to clean every 5 mins - it's taking away from the experience. It's important to have a really good paper towel. 

You can clean as you go, because when it gets too messy, you can't do anything. You have to keep it clean, but you have to keep it moving. Bounty Paper Towels really are great, because they don't shred, tear or turn into liquid when they get wet. They're really useful beyond just cleaning up! If you're whisking something in a bowl and don't have another hand free, you can take a sheet of Bounty under the bowl and whisk it and the bowl won't move around. The same is true for the cutting board - it won't slide.

AM: Wow that's really cool!

DG: Yeah it's good! Also when you have a hot pan like you're sauteeing a piece of chicken and you have taken the chicken out of a non-stick pan, what you can do is take a sheet of Bounty, ball it up, take the tongs and you rub it on the inside of the hot pan and it picks up all that grease and cleans the pan really well so that you're not scrubbing with something abbrasive. You can't do that with a cheap paper towel - it's impossible. The other brands start to char and catch fire! It's REALLY good for greasing cake pans. You spray the pans, but you don't want the puddles so you take a sheet of Bounty and run it inside your cake pan or tins and it makes it nice and even so it doesn't burn in the oven.

AM: Okay those are some serious tips and I wouldn't have known some of those.

DG: Yeah it's really cool!

AM: We know you have your own line of cake mixes, baking tools and more - what are your favorites?

DG: Oh man that's a good question. My favorite, I'd say the tie dye or the camouflage cake mix.

AM: Wait - you have camo?

DG: Yeah we have camouflage. They're so neat. Again, speaking to that magic - when you do these things with a kid - you're dropping the different color batters into a pan, that's just fun. You're having a good time. But then when it comes out and you cut it and you see that it really looks like camouflage, kid's minds EXPLODE! They can't believe it and are like, "WHAT, how did this happen?"

AM: That sounds pretty cool! Speaking of National Chocolate Chip Day, we saw the Rainbow Chip Cookies and it reminds us of the whole "unicorning" trend that is popping up throughout various lifestyle verticals - why are these cookies so perfect to enjoy on this holiday?

DG: I wanted a recipe that was going to be good with kids. Kids love touching things and it's a very tactile recipe. There are colors and then you're rolling them out like snakes and you twist that big snake out and then you have that big magical moment that when you cut it, you see all the colors that have mushed together and then what's really fun, you get to place each chocolate chip on each piece yourself. It's fun because kids can make smiley faces or do their initials with the chocolate chip cookies - really decorative things. 

It's a really fun recipe that is pretty involved and is not the easiest recipe in the world. I don't dumb it down. I don't dumb it down when I judge the kids and I don't dumb down the recipes or kids. I think about what kids are going to think is fun and sometimes it's hard, but they're still going to think it's fun!

AM: That's really cool. Last question! So June 2nd is National Donut Day. Do you have a favorite donut that you like to make?

DG: Mmmmm - I have a favorite one that I like to eat!

AM: Ok make or eat!

DG: Have you ever had the blueberry cake donuts from 7-Eleven?

AM: No we haven't haha!

DG: It might be my favorite donut in the world!

AM: We will have to try that!

DG: Yeah they are amazing HAHA - I love those things!!!

Make sure you watch Duff and the rest of the judging team for the season finale of Spring Baking Championship on Food Network at the end of this month. Also, follow him on Twitter and IG to see more about upcoming shows!

Read more from the May Issue and see The Baker Man with Duff Goldman in mag