Duff Goldman gets a gold star for being so considerate of his fans

Food TV's Duff Goldman was aces about being considerate of his fans' time Sunday.

Goldman, host of "Ace of Cakes" and Sandra Lee, host of "Semi-Homemade Cooking," were at the Mall of America for the kickoff event of "The Great American Bake Sale," a fundraiser for Share Our Strength, a national organization with the goal of ending childhood hunger.

Goldman had been at the megamall very early overseeing arrangements for the 61-pound-plus cupcake made at his Baltimore business Charm City Cake, and shipped here for a Guinness World Records adjudication of its status as the world's largest cupcake.

Goldman was scheduled to hold an autograph signing at 2 p.m. About 11:30 a.m., as he waited in the management offices of the MOA, Duff decided he wasn't doing anything and because there was already a line, he might as well go upstairs and sign some autographs.

Before a table had been moved into place, Goldman was putting promo photos of himself on his knee to autograph them.

Soft-spoken and direct -- "I'll take a picture for you but not with you" -- he was all about moving that line. He deserves an award for being early: "Most Considerate Celebrity Autographer" award!

You're the winner, Duff. Go bake yourself something.

Sandra Lee is no slouch in the kindness department, either.

She is a tender soul who had a pretty tough upbringing, according to what the Wisconsin-La Crosse alum wrote in her memoir, "Made From Scratch." When Lee was a young girl, her mom, who was suffering from her own issues, left it largely to Sandra to raise her siblings.

Speaking to the MOA crowd, Lee said: "I too was a child [she paused] ... We were on welfare and food stamps when I grew up, I don't know exactly how to say that. So I'll just say it. This is something that's very important. Being hungry and being afraid of where your next meal comes from is something that I know a lot about."

"Over 12 million children in the United States go hungry every single day," she said, emphatically adding "They're our children. So I am thrilled to be here to represent Share Our Strength and the Great American Bake Sale."

When MOA PR woman Julie Hansen tried to gratuitously demonize me, Lee (an angel) didn't buy it. Especially after I told Lee I was a lot kinder to her than some of her colleagues, who deride her cooking shortcuts. I can't remember the last time I got kissed so much.

"I'm a kisser and a crier," said Lee. On Friday Sandra is taping another episode of "Tyra." Lee said she just loves Tyra Banks.

As we parted, Lee said: "I would kiss you again, but that would be like the ninth time. I kiss Tyra more than I kissed you." That's as it should be.

Sandra Lee stepped on a scale brought to weigh the cupcake to make sure it was accurate. See the video at startribune.com/video.

Lee must have the metabolism of a hummingbird, as she was eager to catch up with an old friend at lunch at Johnny Rockets after the event.

This following conversation takes the cake.

While waiting for Duff's autograph, Stacy Hill and her cousin Erica Sande were chitchatting with two women next in line, Samantha Kaasa and her mom, Loretta Aymond.

They waited in line for two hours. The most amusing part of their conversation was about how Aymond was waiting in line with Kaasa, so she could get an autograph for her stepmom, Pam Kaasa. This blended family gets along that well? "It took 20 years," Aymond said, laughing.

The final hour of waiting went much faster, when they discovered they're related.

"It's funny when you're just visiting and sharing stories. 'Well, I grew up in Puposky. I'm related to them, too.' It was crazy," said Hill, who is graduating from Luther Seminary in May, and heading for a congregation in Arkansas. Pray for her.

"It's really weird," said Kaasa, who had another agenda item. In August, Kaasa, of Farmington, is engaged to marry Tyler Klosner.

"I was trying to get a free wedding cake; my budget's real tight," Kaasa said. "He didn't really have a response, he just kind of cocked his head sideways."

To me, Tiffany Kincannon does have an uncanny resemblance to Rachael Ray -- in the dark. Kincannon, of Cambridge, Minn., is on Ray's show, 2 p.m. today on KARE11, because she is one of the women who somebody believes looks like Ray. Maybe in person they look more alike.

Word has it that Donatella Versace was seen at the MOA again on Saturday.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com.