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FIRST ANNUAL LOS ANGELES FOOD & WINE
DUFF GOLDMAN
JONATHAN GRAHM
CHEF DUFF HAS been cooking since the age of four, when his Mom caught him in the kitchen swinging a meat cleaver while watching Chef Tell. A few years later, his culinary curiosity almost cost him a finger when he decided the best way to carve a pumpkin was with the largest knife he could find. Despite the incident, Duff found his calling and has never turned back. After graduating from college with degrees in history and philosophy, he went on to study at the Culinary Institute of America. He worked at several acclaimed culinary destinations, including the French Laundry, the Vail Cascade Hotel and Todd English’s Olives before returning to Baltimore in 2000, where quit his day job and opened Charm City Cakes. In 2006, Food Network tapped Duff and to star in Ace of Cakes. After six years, the show is still wildly populaR in over 40 countries worldwide. Duff currently stars in Food Network’s Sugar High and has been featured in episodes of, Iron Chef America, The Next Food Network Star, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Chefs vs. City, Cupcake Wars, and Chopped. Duff is also a graffiti artist, metal sculptor and musician. In the Spring of 2011, he packed up the combined talent and knowledge he gained in over 10 years in business by the entire crew of Charm City Cakes, loaded up his trucks, and headed to Los Angeles to open up his left coast bakery expansion: Charm City Cakes West.
JONATHAN GRAHM is the world’s youngest and most creative “chocolatier”. Only 25 years old, Jonathan has already created over 100 varieties of chocolates and has built a cult following in Los Angeles, ranging from famous actors and actresses to housewives to corporate business clients nationwide. Working out of his store, Compartes Chocolates in Brentwood, CA, Jonathan is able to fuse unique flavors with stylish presentation in his artisanal creations. Jonathan took over his family’s chocolate shop at the young age of 15. At the time, Compartes was already a superlative chocolate shop though rooted heavily in tradition. Its’ chocolate-dipped glace apricots have been a favorite amongst Brentwood society since the 50s, even supplying Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monroe, but the long-stagnated store was in dire need of some youthful flair. Inspired by his trips to childhood vacation spots in Venezuela, Asia, and Europe, Jonathan began developing his own recipes in Compartes’ miniscule kitchen. Mixing ingredients, textures and exotic flavors together, Jonathan used ganache as his canvas, creating unique flavor profiles with the purpose of revealing chocolate’s many different notes. By re-inventing Compartes while still keeping the traditional favorites that made customers come back time and time again, Jonathan had found his niche.
WEEKEND APPEARANCE: 1. Thursday, October 13 7:00 AM - Red Carpet Premier 2. Saturday, October 15 7:00 PM - Lexus LIVE On The Plaza
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