511861 Tue Apr 22 10:22:42 -0700 2008 61 33 Food Media and News 0 3618877 I watching Geoff making a guitar cake with dirty finger nails. Does it bother anyone else that the cake decorators don't have gloves or hair nets? Tue Apr 22 10:22:42 -0700 2008 19281 2top 1 3619230 Have you ever made a fondant wedding cake with gloves? I'd like for you to try it. The "dirt" is 99.9% likely to be chocolate. Get over yourself. If you spent 100 hours a week doing that kind of work (I have, you are drenched head to toe in food--you keep as clean as humanly possible). This is besides the point that this man is a crappy cake maker. Yeah, it wouldn't kill him to wear a hat though... Tue Apr 22 11:48:51 -0700 2008 3618877 144345 creamydeluxe 2 3634049 I'm glad that other cake professionals have the same opinions of that show. I am admittedly more of a baker than a decorator, but I don't see why he is held in such high regard, as he isn't that good. His skills aren't as high as they would like you to believe, and I have to wonder what the cakes taste like, as they seem to treat the underlying cake as little more then edible foam. IMVHO. Sun Apr 27 12:08:08 -0700 2008 3619230 22220 Kelli2006 1 3619834 Julia Child once observed that the food on a plate in a fancy restaurant was so beautifully arranged you just knew someone's hands had been all over it. (She was not a fan.) Tue Apr 22 14:05:40 -0700 2008 3618877 10726 TrishUntrapped 2 3641704 That's great! I cooked good but my presentation sucks! It might not be pretty but it sure tastes good! I'd actually like to take a class on presentation sometime. Tue Apr 29 18:52:24 -0700 2008 3619834 161922 jodymaryk 1 3620055 Of course a person must use their hands, but they should have clean hands and nails. I don't like it when cooks lick their fingers and put them right back in the food or when they are always touching their hair. Tue Apr 22 15:04:05 -0700 2008 3618877 152622 cook52 2 3621411 Of course chefs use their hands, I think you would be lying to yourself if you thought otherwise. But I have cringed many times watching this show, especially when they are transporting the cakes and they just put them in the back of somebody's car without a box or any kind of protection. The other part that we always comment on is when someone is using power tools to create some framework for a cake in the same room they are decorating hte cakes in. There's got to be dust from the wood/foam/metal that they are cutting that gets stuck into the frosting and stuff. Some of the cakes look great and they are an interesting bunch to watch, but I don't think I'd want to eat one! Wed Apr 23 04:02:59 -0700 2008 3620055 142362 sibeats 3 3621954 I've warmed up to this show since it first came on and enjoy it now. I have to agree many of the cakes don't look like I would want to eat them. Is it just me or besides Duff and Mary Alice everyone seems to be medicated to some degree? Wed Apr 23 08:09:52 -0700 2008 3621411 184430 chazmo 4 3640395 OMG i'm glad i'm not the only one who noticed that....i watched this the other night, and one of the guys nearly lulled me to sleep listening to his sloowww ...draaaaaaaaawwwwn out dialogue...i wondered what the heck he was on. Tue Apr 29 12:01:32 -0700 2008 3621954 153184 im_nomad 3 3622254 Having delivered many large wedding cakes, I can say that having to put anything tall, heavy, awkward or delicate/intricate like multi-tiered wedding cakes or the stuff the Charm City does into a box for transport only makes for more opportunities to damage the cakes. Having anything close to the cake like a box or other protection is something incredibly close that you now have to avoid while placing the cake into or taking it out. A box is something that could be accidentally pressed into the side of a cake, doing serious damage. And unless you have a box that's the exact size of the board the cake is on, you'd have make a box to fit the board. Putting a cake on a non-slip mat in the back of a clean van and driving carefully is the way to go. Wed Apr 23 09:38:18 -0700 2008 3621411 84331 ultramagnetic 4 3622312 Agree, I guess my point was that the backs of the employees cars don't look so clean! And yes chazmo, they all do seem medicated, which kind of adds to the fun of the show! Wed Apr 23 09:55:15 -0700 2008 3622254 142362 sibeats 1 3623442 I'm surprised that most of them do their work in their street clothes. Wed Apr 23 14:00:19 -0700 2008 3618877 126101 Antilope 2 3624985 I don't mind the street clothes, or even the fact they're not wearing hairnets so much (I wonder where the Balto City Health Inspector is), but seeing anyone prepare food with dirty fingernails is a HUGE turn off. Even if the "dirt" is chocolate (which I doubt). Just like my Mama said to me, "wash your dirty hands for heavens sake!" I've only watched the show a few times. Seems like he uses a lot of foam forms in some of his cakes, which I found surprising. I guess some of them are just to be "oohed" and "ahhed" at. Who wants a cake that only has 1/2 edible? I wonder how much customer pay for a foam base vs. a real cake base. Thu Apr 24 05:15:49 -0700 2008 3623442 50258 Axalady 3 3630745 having been to many weddings/events/ fancy cake having parties... the fancy cake is frequently just for show. Very often, there's a sheet cake in the kitchen somewhere that's sliced for guests to eat. Fri Apr 25 18:00:57 -0700 2008 3624985 22627 MaspethMaven 4 3636349 I was wondering if people really eat those cakes they make, or if they are just for show. Mon Apr 28 09:25:17 -0700 2008 3630745 115691 delong99 5 3641360 I wonder this about any of those shows were $$$$ foods are made for celebrity gatherings. Wonderful and beautifully crafted culinary creations... do people squeezed into their post-Oscar party dresses really chow down that way? Tue Apr 29 16:50:05 -0700 2008 3636349 153184 im_nomad 4 3640456 I certainly intended for my guests to eat our wedding cake, which they did. I personally have never been one for sweets so aside for the mandatory shot where my hsuband and I fed each other cake, I didn't eat much. But over the years I have become increasingly skeeved by "fancy" cakes and pastries, really a wide variety of party/catered food, because it seems much less like food and much more like a dirty party favor. I am sometimes interested in watching Duff and crew make the cakes but get grossed out if anyone actually eats them. Tue Apr 29 12:14:30 -0700 2008 3630745 116638 southernitalian 3 4429819 I was going to order their cigar humadore cake for my husband's birthday. Can't exactly remember the price but it was in the $350-$400 range. I expected it to be expensive. What I didn't expect is that they do not ship, they only deliver and the delivery fee was something like $125.00 per hour. Inasmuch as I live in Alabama and they are in Maryland, I politely thanked Mary Alice and decided against it. Oh and yes, they are ALL medicated on that show, but it seems like such a fun place to work,, maybe because of that :) Wed Feb 18 14:56:19 -0800 2009 3624985 148057 Missi 1 3638751 At some point it's got to be more about the food and creativity than about dirty fingernails or a lack of a hairnet. If the food is great, I can forgive a lot outside of actual toxicity. Go to any third world street food vendor and you'll see hygiene that makes dirty fingernails or lack of hairnets as nothing. I remember the Lagunilla in Mexico City, and I wondered why in the world the butchers put raisins on their meat. Then the raisins flew around.... Mon Apr 28 21:51:33 -0700 2008 3618877 99521 KenWritez 2 4446435 but WHAT are the fingernails dirty WITH? yuk! Mon Feb 23 23:35:49 -0800 2009 3638751 105717 alkapal 3 5113288 Chocolate? Sun Oct 18 19:16:31 -0700 2009 4446435 11995 pikawicca 3 5113416 Human flesh? Sun Oct 18 20:20:17 -0700 2009 4446435 99521 KenWritez 1 3640434 if you've ever tried to make truffles or what not, you'd appreciate how difficult it is to keep chocolate from not only getting everywhere, but it stains sometimes too. I've noticed the lack of hairnets and such on shows such as this, and especially on HK, where long flowing hair is barely pinned back, never mind a hair net. If i'm baking at home for a sale item, i look like a freak i've got so much stuff on my head (headband, pony tail etc)...tis not a pretty sight :) Duff's bald though isn't he? It did bother me though watching this past week and the blond girl rubbed her nose and then went back to work. Tue Apr 29 12:08:48 -0700 2008 3618877 153184 im_nomad 2 3640878 Yes, truffles are messy and the chocolate seems to travel. But I've noticed the hygiene-type issues on this show, too. Someone's sick and comes to work, hacking and sneezing away near the cakes. Someone with hands in their hair and then decorating the cake. You never see them wash their hands ... but I am assuming a lot of things just aren't shown on tv. Tue Apr 29 14:12:18 -0700 2008 3640434 10666 Chocolatechipkt 1 3641265 I'm ashamed to say a local well known, and well haunted take out in my home town, was also home to the cook, who was known for his fingernails. Sadly it didn't seem to deter many of us, as oddly the food was good.....and deep fried . I might not go there now though. Tue Apr 29 16:20:30 -0700 2008 3618877 153184 im_nomad 1 3641342 I have to say it looks like he’s doing something right because the bakery is booked six-months in advance and has been for the past couple of years. Also, he seems to get a fair share of repeat business like doing a wedding cake, anniversary cake, and then a birthday cake all for the same people. Regarding the show, I never watched in the beginning because it was about baking but I watch it now. Some of the shows are pretty good entertainment. Today was a re-run of the “Lead Chef”, a take of on Iron Chef. Mary Alice played AB, Duff was the chairman, and Geoff and Adam made scrapple. It was complete with music, sound effects, and the fast editing, and was really pretty entertaining. I wish FN would have more shows that had a sense of humor to them so they could parody themselves like that more often. DI did it a little too one show they had with the magicians. Tue Apr 29 16:43:29 -0700 2008 3618877 171531 SDMike 1 3641899 I would say these people don't even try to wash their hands, I don't see them cleaning up after themselves and the place is a mess. To me cakes are special and should be pretty as well as taste good. Tue Apr 29 20:20:27 -0700 2008 3618877 152622 cook52 2 3646004 ...you do realize that baltimore does have health inspections, right? I'd rather watch them create than watch them wash their hands a la Emeril and Sandra Lee, who often times just rinse their hands under water anyway. If I could afford it (and were getting married), I would SO give CCC my biz. Thu May 01 05:46:12 -0700 2008 3641899 51422 Jeserf 3 3653357 Good for you, happy eating nail mites and dirt Sat May 03 12:23:54 -0700 2008 3646004 152622 cook52 4 3656774 It's all protein, baby! lolol.... Mon May 05 02:00:14 -0700 2008 3653357 99521 KenWritez 5 4428430 You say that until you end up in the hospital with food poisoning. They are gross at CCC. I've seen them put the cake decorations on their heads and ears, who knows where else. I'm sure they don't run over to the sink everytime to wash these items off. They need to be reported! Wed Feb 18 09:15:49 -0800 2009 3656774 267864 anonymous313 6 5105499 Haven't been hospitalized with food posioning, but I have had my bouts with f.p. at home. I've seen the show many times and I'm satisfied with their levels of food safety. Unless they're doing dangerous things off-camera, but Duff seems professional enough not to allow that. Thu Oct 15 10:39:37 -0700 2009 4428430 99521 KenWritez 1 3644425 Wow, you all really feel strongly about this. I have no idea what really goes on there, but please keep in mind this is TV. Since when is TV truthful? Assuming they do wash their hands and such, do you think the producers are really going to edit in when they do it? It's boring and could cause people to change the channel. Now as for hairnets and coming in sick, I got nothing for that. Duff is a different type of chef, so he has a different type of bakery. It seems like there are enough people that don't care, they are ALWAYS booked. Wed Apr 30 14:31:49 -0700 2008 3618877 143498 enginerd 2 3646107 I like the show a lot, and just assumed all the hygiene moments were edited out. I have to say, I checked out their website to order a cake, and while I expected expensive, I didn't expect the lecturing, off-putting tone. I understand they are popular and might get some fan calls that waste time, but if I'm spending $500 ++++ on an event cake...I expect a HELLUVA lot more than do this, don't do that, do this, we expect, we expect, we expect from a person that is essentially working for me..... IS that wrong? I've worked in food service, but never pastry, for my wedding cake, I did plain fluted cake and decorated with flowers on a custom cake stand, because we have a family gal that does cakes...I'd rather pay HER the money and have cake for a freaking year. I KNOW she's clean and good. And she's nice. LOL Thu May 01 06:30:10 -0700 2008 3644425 159354 sommrluv 3 3646295 Reminds me of the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld. LOL Yeah, if I'm paying a lot of money for something, it's more like you're doing what I say, not the other way around. Thu May 01 07:48:18 -0700 2008 3646107 118582 maisonbistro 3 3647525 I disagree completely with the idea that the website is lecturing....I find it straightforward and specific. They're not wasting anyone's time. If you're going to get a cake from them, they're clearly going to work closely with you on the cake and they spell that out, too. It's still a business and they have to be able to run it as such; I'd be happy if more places laid out all of their policies in advance so I knew what I was getting into. Perhaps its only good editing, but they seem to go out of their way for their customers and for things like the Make A Wish Foundation....seems pretty nice to me. Thu May 01 12:55:04 -0700 2008 3646107 80141 ccbweb 4 3647699 Good point. And, I wouldn't be that surprised at all if they did that one as a freebee. They all seemed to be touched and I don't think Charm City Cakes or Duff is hurting for money at the moment. He's one of the few FN stars that often has a PSA for that charity of his. It runs all the time. Thu May 01 13:36:21 -0700 2008 3647525 171531 SDMike 3 3650134 i dunno, I just looked at the site, either they changed it or I completely can't understand what you are reacting negatively to...it is perfectly friendly and straightforward. I didn't see any "we expect"...can you give specific quotes? Do you think the deposit and refund policies are unreasonable? Wouldn't it be unfair to them to have people canceling and wanting refunds after they have committed lots of time and expense to making the cakes? I just don't get any kind of "lecturing, off-putting tone." On the contrary, they sound like they would genuinely enjoy having people come visit and watch, but it would be impossible to run the place or pass health inspections if they did, so they are amusing and apologetic about that policy. Fri May 02 09:38:38 -0700 2008 3646107 16728 kenito799 3 3651079 <<IS that wrong?>> Hmmm... yes. I just checked out the sight. IMO you misinterpreted a matter-of-fact tone as lecturing and off-putting. The web site writers are telling potential clients "Here's how we do business." As busy as they are--look at their schedule--they don't have time to answer the same questions hundreds of times each week and it's not their job to coddle the reader. Their web site acts like a doorman or a bouncer at a club: He screens out the riff-raff. In this case, the site screens out the tourists, the merely curious, the tire-kickers, lizards and time-wasters who have no intention of buying a CCC cake and want to treat CCC as their playground. CCC treats their web site visitor like an adult and expects these visitors to realize CCC is first and foremost a business, not anyone's buddies. Put yourself in their shoes: You have a finite amount of time and an infinite number of demands on that time from paying customers and your business, yet you've got crowds of people knocking on your door, many of whom won't buy your product. Now, return to the CCC web site and re-read it. I'll bet your perspective changes. Fri May 02 13:04:30 -0700 2008 3646107 99521 KenWritez 4 3651839 I don't have a lot of time to quote, I'm on the way out the door, but from what I re-read this afternoon, unless you have a cake feeding over 75 people, you will not get cake sample flavors, a sketch, not a meeting. And you are still paying $500 to $1000 per cake for that. Now, obviously they have to cross the line somewhere, I'm not compeltely faulting them, but I run a business as well, I just choose to run it differently. While I don't have a TV show, I will modestly admit to being 'known'. I still will at least speak on the phone with each and every customer. I still found it very much..this is the way you will do it, if not, you are doomed. The soup nazi comparison was not lost on me. Maybe you do get samples for a small cake, but they omit that fact than. Personally, I'm not going to spend $750 on an novelty item that I'm not sure is also going to taste good AND look good. Fri May 02 17:35:55 -0700 2008 3651079 159354 sommrluv 5 3652433 The website specifies that if you want a cake for over 75 people _or_ a wedding cake (presumably for any number) then they will provide samples and have a meeting. Otherwise, they'll handle it by phone or via email...they just won't do quote over the phone (I'm thinking so that they have no chance of someone saying "but you told me it would only be $X) . My read says once you have the quote and want to place an order, they'll be happy to do it via phone. And if you're getting a wedding cake, they're going to meet with you, make sure you like the flavors and so on. Makes sense to me. You have a different way of handling your business, which is fine; but I don't think the website is at all out of line and I don't think there's any "Soup Nazi" thing going on. Sat May 03 00:09:44 -0700 2008 3651839 80141 ccbweb 1 3661087 Now I am not trying to make excuses for the lack of hair nets or working in ‘street clothes’ or dirty fingernails, but all of the decorators are artists, not chefs. That doesn’t give them the right to be blatantly unsanitary, but they are of a different mind set. Which may also explain why they all look like a bunch of stoners all the time! LOL. I think it is a pretty fun show to watch, I’d consider getting a cake from them for a special event if they were closer to Philly. As far as the ‘rules’ for special cakes, I think they ask for so much because if a client is paying so much for a cake, they want to make sure it is exactly what the client wants. Example, I would want them to do a Siberian Husky cake for my wife, and if that is all I tell them and they send a cake that is a black and white husky with blue eyes, but ours is a red and white bi eyed Siberian. I can see people refusing to pay and getting into big debates over who is at fault, should I have told you or should you have asked kinda thing. Tue May 06 08:37:17 -0700 2008 3618877 183933 GDFLS 1 4172243 The cakes are beautiful, but I have decided that for me... art work only. They are treated like art work, using your hands is one thing, but they man handle the cake too much for me and then they are touching everything, their face, scratching, I've seen nail polish on some of the ladies, with cake under their nails, that can't be sanitary. I'm watching it now - this girl leaned over and her hair is all over the board that she is making figurines on. I can't imagine ever being able to eat one of these cakes. OMG I've got to stop talking about it... I'm getting sick... Thu Nov 13 19:30:02 -0800 2008 3618877 239917 MsEileen 2 4172335 I noticed that this season there are more comments on how good the cakes taste. They probably have been reading sites like this where we all wonder if it's all style & no substance. I wonder if customers who appear on film are told somewhat indirectly to say on camera how good their cake is. Thu Nov 13 20:14:09 -0800 2008 4172243 15755 sugarbuzz 2 4428466 I agree. I don't care how good a cake tastes. You can make a good tasting cake at home. I would NEVER buy a cake from them after watching their show. The women lean over and their hair is all over the cakes, they don't wear aprons and one episode they bought their animals in! I don't want dog hair or human hair in a cake that I'm paying hundreds of dollars for. That's how people get sick and then get mad when the doctors can't figure out what's wrong with them. Wed Feb 18 09:22:16 -0800 2009 4172243 267864 anonymous313 3 4442831 im sorry, but off the top of my head I cannot think of any HAIRBORN illnesses!? is there a rapant outbreak of hairamisatisis im not aware of? seriously, you must not have much food service experience if you are this uptight about such things. You would wilt if you saw the standard goings-on at your local TJ McPicklePoopers! Sun Feb 22 20:11:52 -0800 2009 4428466 39457 nkeane 2 4442561 I'm with MsEileen. I'm not ignorant to the fact that there's a lot of touching going on in a lot of places preparing food. I'd just prefer to be blissfully ignorant about it. Sun Feb 22 18:08:14 -0800 2009 4172243 11778 irishnyc 1 4173051 If it is chocolate under the fingernails, not dirt, washing hands isn't going to get it out. On days when I had worked with a lot of chocolate, even after a shower it would still be there. Even a nail brush didn't get it out. It would take a nail file to really clean it out. Chocolate is absolutely the worst thing to get off the hands. Fri Nov 14 07:17:26 -0800 2008 3618877 139219 Sooeygun 1 4182194 I must say, this show really turns me off. Although I've been in the restaurant idustry for 30 years and I'm no stranger to the fact that things are not always as sanitary as we'd like to believe, most of the work here seems to go into whimsy, not taste. A cake should be beautiful, but it's sole purpose is not decoration. Decorations are for the table and the environment. Cakes are to eaten. These look like they have no taste. Much more armiture than I'd ever care for. This is a sculpture, not a food item. Tue Nov 18 00:31:25 -0800 2008 3618877 238443 Chef Gurp 1 4317416 I couldn't begin to comment about how the bakery is run or standards of cleanliness, but I have eaten Charm City Cake cake before and it was not very good. Dry, dense, and flavorless. I tried four varieties and of the four only one (pumpkin chocolate chip) actually tasted like something other than generic cake. I was pretty bummed. Sun Jan 11 19:30:20 -0800 2009 4317049 23389 charmedgirl 1 4429207 The cakes at Charm City are more for being memorable conversation pieces that will get people talking, and allows for customization that's hard to find. If you want a wedding cake for the cake, there are plenty of bakeries that can do that ,and do that well. As for the hygiene, I've wondered myself how cakes that have been sitting around for a day or two doesn't accumulate dust on the fondant (granted I never eat the fondant anyways...I've always peeled it off and just eaten the cake underneath). If I ever decided to buy a "sculpture" cake, I'd get a sheet cake on the side to serve to guests. Wed Feb 18 12:25:31 -0800 2009 3618877 109044 Bunson 1 4430117 People sure seem to have a lot strong opinions of how Duff's cakes taste. Has anyone actually tried them? Wed Feb 18 16:26:00 -0800 2009 3618877 18466 a_and_w 2 4431848 Duff came to PGH a year or two ago to do a demo and brought/made some of his cakes. I tried a piece of his chocolate cake and it was dry and flavorless. I'd much rather have a cake made from the box, or from the local Stop 'n' Shop. His cakes may look "cool" but...they use so much foam, wood, plastic, gross fondant, is it even a CAKE anymore? I was annoyed that Macy's ordered a cake from them for their anniversary....as if there aren't other BETTER bakers in NYC?!?! That won't have to drive from Baltimore?! What a waste! Thu Feb 19 07:53:38 -0800 2009 4430117 108820 QSheba 3 4432343 Man...you people are killing my appreciation for this show...LOL! Thu Feb 19 09:52:59 -0800 2009 4431848 18466 a_and_w 3 4432604 At some point they clearly crossed the line from cakes to arts & crafts projects. Thu Feb 19 10:56:50 -0800 2009 4431848 202198 ferret 3 4441390 Those bakers in NYC don't have their own shows, and thus would not provide Macy's with national publicity for the relatively low cost of a cake. If CCC didn't have a TV show, I wonder how successful it would actually be. Sun Feb 22 10:17:55 -0800 2009 4431848 55915 MartinDC 4 4442510 One could also say, if they weren't successful they never would have gotten a show. Sun Feb 22 17:47:45 -0800 2009 4441390 11003 chipman 5 4442599 They have a show because the creator-producer of the show is Duff's brother-in-law or someone related and sold the idea to Food Network and they bought it. Sun Feb 22 18:24:47 -0800 2009 4442510 11914 monku 1 5101000 This is too funny (or not). I was just thinking the same thing while watching an episode where one of the decorators cupped her face with both her hands and dove right into the fondant with their loose hair flying all over the place. Yuck. So I googled "ace of cakes unsanitary," and voila--countless hits. Tue Oct 13 17:20:15 -0700 2009 3618877 1116127 avon96734 1 5105520 How is that different from all the other cake decorating/cooking shows on tv? Don't single out just AoC. Thu Oct 15 10:45:47 -0700 2009 3618877 14495 viperlush 1 5112344 I was watching an old episode of Julia Child yesterday--the one where she was handling all those chickens. She put on her glasses, took them off, was touching pliers and other equipment, and did not wash her hands. I wonder if she had some sort of immunity to salmonella? Sun Oct 18 11:19:48 -0700 2009 3618877 11701 MrsT 2 5112774 AFAIK no one has immunity to salmonella. Touching raw chicken and then touching other surfaces does not guarantee the passing on of food poisoning. Doing so just makes it more likely. Look at the the Third World street food vendors you see on travel shows. They demonstrate enough unsafe food handling to turn a health inspector's hair white, yet their customers aren't dying in droves from botulism or salmonella. (Could be the immune systems of someone in Laos or Calcutta are probably more robust than ours?) I'm not saying unsafe food handling is trivial, just that it's by no means a guarantee and many people go years without experiencing it despite being exposed to circumstances favoring it. Sun Oct 18 14:49:48 -0700 2009 5112344 99521 KenWritez