Customer Reviews

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

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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!

Length:: 3:14 Mins

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

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.

I absolutely love Ingrid's cooking show "Simply Delicioso" on the Food Network and very excited about her latest cook book. She makes cooking fun and mouth watering with flavors from the Caribbean Islands, South America and Miami. Being half Puerto Rican myself I'm enjoying all the flavors of food I grew up with. Ingrid knows just how to take everyday ingrediants to make her recipes easy and fun for us cooks that have extremely busy schedules. I highly recommened this Latin/Caribbean Fusion cook book!

Ok, let me first say this is not a TOTALLY authentic Latin cookbook. So?? Who cares? This cookbook is an excellent resource for quick, easy-to-make excellent tasting dishes, drinks and desserts. Ingrid is almost the Latin 30-Minute Meal woman, but with more charm, class and appeal than Rachael. I've made many of the recipes in this book and for the most part, they are very good. While I'm not sure how much ketchup is a staple in traditional Latin dishes (she LOVES ketchup and it is in some of the main dishes), most of the items in here are flavorful and very good. I'd recommend to anyone that wants to explore easy to make and great tasting dishes. Also, if you're expecting lots of Mexican recipes, don't come here. There are a few, but Ingrid is Colombian and lives in Miami, so most of these are tropical-type dishes.

I am not a cookbook buyer/owner. After watching many of Ingrid Hoffmans' shows, I was waiting for her cookbook to come out. I was very pleased, as well as my husband with the tasty combinations of food. Some unique combinations for the Flavor Packed Peppers were mind boggling at first: Green Olives, apples, tomatoes?!? - But WOW, now my husband and families' favorite. I will never make stuffed peppers with rice again!

Some recipes are simple food prep, others a bit more work. I just simplified all of them and used the food processor for most of the recipes. Her recipes were simple enough to omit items and/or substitute items. I didn't have some of the items and improvised easily. Remember cooking is supposed to be fun.

Her recipes were totally health conscious! Most seasonings for the food were vegetables and fresh/dried herbs. I was so pleased with this, I bought the cookbook for my father for Father's Day. I wrote in notes and comments about all the recipes I already tried. Wish she had another cookbook out already.

I enjoy using this book for healthy simple receipts. I defenitely would recomend this book for the beginner and the seasoned cook, no pun intended.

With the extensive glossary of Latin and South American ingredients in the front, this cookbook helps rookies to the genre navigate the often-confusing litany of the core ingredients in the cuisine. Don't know a chayote from a mango? Can't tell chipotle chiles in adobo from frijoles negros? You'll learn!

The recipes are simply awesome. You can create anything from hearty, simple family fare to stunning gourmet concoctions that are a lot easier than they look.

The recipes are well presented and the pictures are very pretty!
She made adaptations to "tradicional" latin recipes to be prepared by Americans or latins in USA.
Well done!

I've tried three recipes from this book and all of them were good. I like the glossary in the beginning which explains what the "latin" foods and spices are. The pictures and the list of alternate names were very helpful when I went to the grocery store.