close

‘Dreams do come true’: C-M grad wins Food Network baking competition

By Katherine Mansfield staff Writer mansfield@observer-Reporter.Com 6 min read
1 / 3

Zoe Peckich always dreamed of being on the Food Network, and was announced the inaugural winner of "Summer Baking Championship" when the season finale aired last week. Peckich graduated from Canon-McMillan High School and serves as the pastry sous chef for Ritual House in Pittsburgh.

2 / 3

Courtesy of Rob Pryce/Food Network

Zoe Peckich works under pressure to complete a dessert on season one of the Food Network’s “Summer Baking Championship.” Peckich said it took a few days of filming to familiarize herself with the kitchen and gain confidence, but the experience was one for the books.

3 / 3

Courtesy of Rob Pryce/Food Network

Zoe Peckich can hardly believe it as she is named the inaugural winner of the Food Network’s “Summer Baking Championship.” “I was just shocked because I was against two amazing people and I couldn’t even believe I made it that far. It was just surreal. It still feels like a dream,” she said.

As a little girl, Zoe Peckich dreamed of being on the Food Network.

Now, the Canon-McMillan graduate has not only appeared on the network, she baked her way to victory on the inaugural season of “Summer Baking Championship.”

“I was top two for, like, five weeks, and then all of a sudden … the only one that mattered, the only episode, I finally got the recognition,” said Peckich, sitting comfortably in a plush purple couch at Ritual House in downtown Pittsburgh, where she serves as pastry sous chef.

Peckich spent weeks earlier this year filming “Summer Baking Championship” in Los Angeles and accomplishing one of her biggest life goals.

“For Canon-Mac, we had to do our senior exit projects on what we wanted to do in life. And what that entailed in my senior project was to be on the Food Network,” Peckich said. “The teachers who had to sit in on the interview, I baked them cupcakes, wore an apron, said like one day, you know, (I want to be on) “Cake Boss,” or I wanted to be like Duff Goldman and have my own show. I just did it. It’s just crazy to me. It’s really crazy.”

Peckich didn’t apply to be on the Food Network; the network saw her work at Pittsburgh’s Monterrey Bay, where she was a pastry chef prior to working at Ritual House, and invited her to audition. After several rounds of interviews, she was accepted as a contestant for the first season of “Summer Baking Championship.”

Being on TV was unlike anything Peckich has ever experienced.

“The first day on set was definitely like, you know, you feel intimidated, right? Because there’s all this talent in the room and then you’re trying to pick out what’s going to happen,” Peckich said. “But honestly, the people I was surrounded by were creating such a safe, comfortable space because we were all gonna go through the same thing. So we all really wanted to just be there for each other. If it wasn’t for the cast I had, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to mentally be there as long as I was.”

The first day of filming, Peckich said, was “tragedy.”

“I under-baked my cake,” she said. “It’s exactly how it looks on TV. The struggles you saw were because it was real struggles.”

Those real struggles included the watermelon episode, which Peckich said was difficult for all pastry chefs.

“I can’t ever look at a watermelon the same,” she laughed.

One night, the pastry chef who honed her craft at Johnson & Wales University’s campus in Charlotte, N.C., told her mother she didn’t know if she could make it to the championship.

That all changed when contestants participated in a group challenge.

“I was like, I can’t let my group member down. I’m tired of making myself look like I have no clue what I’m doing, because the first two episodes were very challenging. So I was like, you know what? We’re doing this like. We came up with this great idea to do the s’mores candy bar and I was so comfortable with that because I have a background in chocolate,” Peckich recalled.

“Ever since then my light switched and I was actually top two for several episodes after.”

The stars aligned in the series finale, when contestants were tasked with creating amusement park-themed confections.

“I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, Kennywood.’ I know it’s not Cedar Point or anything, but it’s very nostalgic for its food. I love Kennywood and … I love the cotton candy, the caramel corn, Dippin’ Dots, like those are my top things. And, the dipped ice cream cones. I was like, oh, this is perfect,” she said.

Peckich masterfully crafted a fried banana split, a cotton candy sugar cookie and a caramel corn cupcake. Her desserts wowed, and Peckich won the advantage for the final challenge: cake.

“Whenever they said cakes, I was so excited, because I love to make cakes,” Peckich said with a smile. “I did my mom’s favorite cake for the finale and it was, like, I just felt like it was so full circle.”

Full circle, because Peckich learned to bake at home when she was a kid, as a way of helping her single mom, Kristen Donalson.

“My brother and I would be at home and that’s where I think I really wanted to learn how to cook and bake. I would watch Food Network shows when I was a little girl and be like, I’m gonna try to make that, or I can do that, or one day I’m going to do that. It was her absence that honestly was the best thing for my career.”

But Donalson has been by her daughter’s side through life and through Peckich’s journey on “Summer Baking Championship” – she’s the only person Peckich, who signed a contract to keep the show’s results secret, told about her win, which aired Monday, June 26, and was there during the watch party at Ritual House.

Now, Peckich’s already decorated career has really taken off: people ask to get photos with her when they dine at Ritual House, the restaurant has a menu featuring Peckich’s original desserts, and her winning cake will grace the menu beginning next week.

“The support from people, just messaging me through social media, is absolutely insane. I can’t even put it into words how it feels,” she said. “People are like, what are you gonna do next? I’m going to go back to work and then figure it out,” she laughed. “I would definitely do another show.”

For now, the show goes on at Ritual House, and Peckich is living the dream – and encourages all girls to dream big.

“To any little girl: dreams do come true. Don’t stop. I was told that the pastry industry is the lowest paid, a lot of things don’t happen, we’re just kicked to the side. I just want to tell those little girls who love cupcakes as much as me, you can do it. It’s a jump away,” Peckich said.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $/week.

Subscribe Today