Simply Delicioso: A Collection of Everyday Recipes with a Latin Twist [Hardcover]

Ingrid Hoffmann (Author), Raquel Pelzel (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 5, 2008

From Food Network and Galavision/Univision cooking star Ingrid Hoffmann comes a fresh, vibrant cookbook full of simple recipes with a Latin twist. Using bold, bright flavors, Ingrid brings her lively, modern take on classic cuisine to the everyday kitchen, turning any meal into a fiesta.

Combining ingredients you know with fresh, exciting flavors that will make your taste buds dance, Ingrid's fast and easy recipes will have you, your family, and your guests living la vida delicioso in no time! Spice up any table with colorful, quick dishes like:

• Rum Chica Rum Chicken
• Caribbean Salmon with Mango-Veggie Salsa and Guava Barbecue Sauce
• Easy Breezy Coconut Ceviche
• Latina Lasagna
• Golden Sunshine Quinoa Salad

Packed with 125 tasty recipes, vivid color photographs shot in Ingrid’s hometown of Miami, fun sidebars, a handy shopping guide, and time-saving “chica tips,” Simply Delicioso will inspire you to whip up festive Latin fare for every meal.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Sharing a title with that of her TV Food Network show, Ingrid Hoffman's Simply Delicioso offers 125 Latin-American recipes that reflect her food-loving vivacity. Dishes like Tamarind-Glazed Baby Back Ribs, Salmon Crevice with Mango, and Chipotle Tamale Pie give some idea of her savory way with the traditional Latin repertoire. Hoffman also includes formulas for sweets like Dulce de Leche Cookie Sandwiches and Passion Fruit Mousse, and for and drinks, such as Tart Banana Crush. These are instantly attractive recipes that cooks should have no trouble preparing once ingredients are on hand. (Hoffman provides a handy pantry of necessary items.) She also offers anecdotes and Chica Tips; both help limn her as a happy, serious eater as well as practiced cook. With color illustrations, the book is just the thing when the urge for big flavor strikes. --Arthur Boehm

From Publishers Weekly

In her first cookbook, Hoffmann (star of the eponymous Food Network show) shares her take on classic Latin American dishes as well as spiced-up twists on non-Latin classics. Each recipe, she explains, takes a practical, real approach to food. Hoffmann's many chapters include a breakfast section; appeteasers, as she calls them; salads; main courses; and vegetables. Many familiar Latin recipes are included—tortillas and arroz con pollo, to name a couple. Hoffmann gives a Latin twist to basics like Eggs Benedict and Beef Noodles by adding such ingredients as chipotle chilis. Some of the recipes in this collection are appealing because of their simplicity, like the Lime Chicken with Quick Avocado Salsa, and Cumin Broiled Pork Chops. However, Hoffmann's dishes don't feel particularly inspired or original: for example, Chica tips, scattered throughout, intend to share shortcuts, yet seem silly, and Hoffmann suggests eating lots of beets before beach trips in order to get a better tan. However, the Delicioso Pantry section (a list of ingredients Hoffmann considers indispensable) is informative and includes detailed definitions of various cheeses, fruits, vegetables and seasonings. Hoffmann's recipes in the beginning of the book for classic Latin sauces such as adobo seasoning, sofrito and jalapeno salsa are also good and provide solid building blocks for tasty dishes. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter (February 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307347346
• ISBN-13: 978-0307347343
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 0.9 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #455,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #64 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Latin American

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple and Tasty Fusion Food!, February 13, 2008

By 

j.s. "mr z" (Bloomington, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Simply Delicioso: A Collection of Everyday Recipes with a Latin Twist (Hardcover)

I have been interested in Ingrid Hoffman since her cooking show - "Simply Delicioso" - premiered on Food Network. Its companion cookbook (boasting the same name) matches Hoffman's simple, albeit very flavorful, approach to cooking.

I must warn consumers, however: This is NOT an authentic Latin cookbook. Nor is it trying to be! Hoffman states in her foreward that her recipes contain fusions of American, Latin American, and other cultural approaches to food. Many people have bashed Hoffman and her recipes on [...] (Food Network's site) for not being "authentic." But her goal is not authenticity! It is simply to make easily prepared, delicious food.

I would recommend this cookbook to other cooks (like myself) who do not have the funds to buy an entirely new cabinet of Latin spices and ingredients. This book is most appropriate for those looking to spice up American cuisine with some different, tasty ingredients and experiment with some Latin-themed dishes.

The title portrays the book perfectly: Simple and Delicious!

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Simply Delicioso - Simply great!, May 28, 2008

By 

Glen Powell "Le Gourmet TV" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simply Delicioso: A Collection of Everyday Recipes with a Latin Twist (Hardcover)

Length:: 3:14 Mins

Simply Delicioso - Simply great!Simply Delicioso: A Collection of Everyday Recipes with a Latin Twist

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well thought out and intriguing dishes!, February 9, 2008

By 

K. Olsen-Keyser "BookChick" (Greensboro, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simply Delicioso: A Collection of Everyday Recipes with a Latin Twist (Hardcover)

Ingrid Hoffmann has attained a place on kitchen shelves across America with her debut cook book Simply Delicioso. Chocked full of recipes with a Latin flair, Hoffman takes our taste buds on a tour to remember.
The first pages of the book are dedicated to Hofmann's own pantry to get a sense of what we are about to undertake in the kitchen. Most of the products are available in your local grocery store making it easy to create any of her luscious dishes. The rest of the book is set up according to salads, fish, poultry, meats, vegetables etc.
One of my favorite salads is the "Papaya and Feta". A delightful mix of sweet and salty, much like melon and prosciutto, this is a wonderful spring and summer salad. Next on my list is the "Golden Sunshine Quinoa Salad". Quinoa is super healthy and this salad includes golden raisins and oranges for a sweet, clean flavor. Hoffmann's "South-of-the-Boarder Bouillabaisse" is an easy substitute to its French counterpart. Continuing the string of favorite mouthwatering recipes are "Brandied Shrimp", "Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts", "Coconut Rice" and "Plantain Chips". The last few pages are reserved for some of the best formulas; drinks and desserts. Her popsicles are to die for!
The majority of the recipes can be tweaked for those of you on a strict diet; I myself have substituted canola oil wherever vegetable oil was called for.
Hoffmann includes "chica tips" at the conclusion of many recipes that provide helpful kitchen information and advice. Lastly, there is a bounty of gorgeous pictures and her anecdotes about each dish are well worth the read.