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Saturday, August 25

New York Times Disses Delicioso

I've caught bits and pieces of Simply Delicioso with Ingrid Hoffman, but not enough to do a full post on it, yet. Overall, I think the show is fine and fits well with the standard FN lineup.

However, I do have some reservations over her reactions to simple actions and phrases. Seriously.... if you thought Rachael was bad, you haven't seen anything until you catch Ingrid Hoffman ramble off some catch phrases en español.

Still, I was surprised to read such a scathing review from the New York Times. In it, Gina Bellafonte claims that Ms. Hoffman is "quickly staking her claim as the country's pre-eminent cleavage cook" and even compares her to guitar-wielding, Latina entertainer Charo.


"Ms. Hoffmann specializes in Latin fusion, ethnic food from which any real sense of ethnicity has been stripped. Her set, a cheerful lime-green kitchen gleaming with chrome, seems never to have opened its door to a pig’s foot," writes Bellafonte, who after dissing Ingrid's (or her producers') choices in fashion, goes on to say that "[t]hough I count among my acquaintances a number of very attractive women who really know their way around a saucier, 'Simply Delicioso' has not convinced me that Ms. Hoffmann would be one of them."

Ouch.

While I've never been one to turn down an opportunity to poke fun at Ms. Sandra Lee, I certainly wouldn't base my entire review on whether or not the host chose to wear a turtleneck apron or an open blouse. It's not that it's just off-subject, it's sexist.

Blah. I'm not even beginning to assert that Simply Delicioso is food tv's saving grace. I'm just saying that it deserves more than a boob-focused review.

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27 Comments:

At 8/25/2007 11:51 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

and here i kinda liked the show...jello shots were fun!

 
At 8/26/2007 9:23 AM , Blogger Prisca said...

Normally I'd be in agreement with you on this one, Jacob, but I suspect Ms. Bellafonte's point is that there isn't any legit Latin cooking on the show and it's draw is meant to be Ms. Hoffman's cleveage! ;) I'll go read Bellafonte's article and see what she says.

 
At 8/26/2007 9:36 AM , Blogger jacob said...

What constitutes a "legitimate" Latin cooking show? Speedy Gonzales cooking taco after taco? I kid, somewhat, but I think whenever you try to dub many cultures as one thing (i.e.- "Latin") you're going to get an end product that many consider to be inauthentic.

It's best to simply judge the show on its own merits, IMHO. And I don't think Ingrid's cleavage is setting her apart from anyone else on FN.

 
At 8/26/2007 9:42 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have watched Simply Delicioso a few times and I thought it was sort of blah. I wasn't impressed with the dishes Ingrid was creating and I felt no urge to try to make them myself. I learned very little that I would ever use, but I can't say that I found her particularly annoying. The cleavage is par for the course at FN; but it is sort of a joke that is getting old. My bottom line reaction was that I don't think this show will last real long.

 
At 8/26/2007 9:48 AM , Blogger Greg said...

That is really tacky. Yes, there are a few quirky things about the show.
The "freeze the guests in time" while I cook thing will get old. She does overdo a few catch-phrases. I thought some of the dishes were decent and I may make some or at least a variation but for god's sake, none of it is that bad. It is no worse than a) Rachel on version 10 of some of her sandwiches - "I've made this 100's of times of this show so today I want to give it a ...Bandladeshi flair... Or Aunt Sandy, nuff said...Or Paula now trying to cook Pad Thai...Or Giada stretching the Italian theme to the limit, "If it's got a piece of pancetta on it, it's Italian... Or even the very staged nature of our beloved Ina's show. C'mon, it ain't that bad. Plus, people wanted a Latin fusion show. They got one.

 
At 8/26/2007 10:10 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Everyone is obsessed with every woman's cleavage on the Food Network. It's absolutely ridiculous. All of the journalists need to get a new angle and fast. It's been played out. They're for entertainment and they're geared toward home cooks. If you want hard edge authentic cooking than everyone is just going to have to take a trip to Puerto Rico or Brazil, not expect a lesson from your couch. I actually enjoy Ingrid. I think she's loud and vivacious and I'd watch her anytime over Guy Fieri or Party Time with the Hardy Boys. Has anyone reviewed the poor quality of those shows?

 
At 8/26/2007 10:28 AM , Blogger JordanBaker said...

There's a lot of clevage on FN, yes. But to my recollection, Ingrid is the only one to ever actively shake her tatas at the camera.

Not the way to avoid comparisons to Charo, and certainly not a recipe for being taken seriously.

I can't speak to her food, because her voice and the time-freeze thing irritate me so much that I stop watching about 5 minutes into each episode.

 
At 8/26/2007 3:22 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

As soon as I started seeing all those commercials for this new girl I instantly thought "Oh, I get it. They wanted another hit like Giada, so they tried for a hispanic Giada" I have not seen the show yet. However, I'm already sick of seeing that commercial during every other commercial break.

... "ok Ingrid now snap your fingers into the camera. K, now go over to the table, snap them again and say 'enjoy guys! dig in!' we will air it so many times that it will be engraved into the skulls of millions!"

 
At 8/26/2007 4:31 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting comments but my take is that the journalism community is a bit backward on this one and maybe this NYTimes writer is playing more to Peoria than Pelham. Last month there was a big broujaja in the Washington Post (of all respected papers!) on Hilary Clinton showing - gasp - clevage and how that would play into the political spectrum. Really. Get a clue journalists - they're women - they have tits - sheesh. I've joked on other posts about Ingrid's bodacious ta-ta's and her annoying finger snapping, but as a Latino/Hispanic (take your pick) who lives in Miami - I enjoy the show and love seeing some shots of the 'hood or the attempt of FN to blank out some of the many Publix (grocery store chain) logos on her food. Give Ingrid a chance! por favor! Roberto desde Miami

 
At 8/26/2007 6:51 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can't stand watching Ingrid Hoffman's show. She is more annoying than Rachael Ray, Paula Deen and Sandra Lee put together.

 
At 8/27/2007 1:15 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

If she says WOR-CHESTER-SHIRE sauce one more time, I'm gonna hurt her.

I've watched (from start to finish) a few times and find her a little grating. She's cute but I wouldn't cook anything she's made on the show. That emerald rice crap looked vile. The intro to her show is like something on Univision. She won't last.

 
At 8/27/2007 1:31 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Some folks have a little trouble with the name "Worcestershire" sauce. I know someone who calls it
"what's-this-here" sauce.

Anyway, I don't have a problem with Ingrid. She's a little like Giada, a little like Rachael, a little like Sandra. And Latinas wear revealing clothes sometimes.
Walk by any Hispanic newsstand or through any Latin market selling Spanish language magazines and tabloids. You think Ingrid is briefly dressed...you got two more thinks coming.

 
At 8/27/2007 4:04 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

That show is horrible. They should have hired Daisy instead. I love the FN but I cannot watch this show,Sandra Lee's or Paula's 2 shows. Oh and another cake competition just might send me over the edge. Probably not.

 
At 8/27/2007 4:42 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't have a problem with Ingrid's show. I find it hilarious. I just wonder why a lot of journalists want to deride chefs on whether they want to show cleavage or not on their shows--cooking shows are not about cleavage.

Oh, and didn't Daisy Martinez show cleavage on her show? That's what I've heard, anyway, since I don't get Daisy Martinez on my PBS station.

 
At 8/28/2007 7:39 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I find her extremely annoying and bordering on the cartoonish. And if she snaps her finders at me one more time....

 
At 8/28/2007 7:46 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

SIMPLY BADIOSO. THE ONLY SHOW ON FOOD NETWORK I DO NOT WATCH. FOOD NETWORK MUST BE RUNING OUT OF TALENT. THANKS FOR RACHAEL RAY.

 
At 8/28/2007 4:12 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think the New York Times was kind.

 
At 8/28/2007 7:26 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Could there be a more German name than "Ingrid Hoffman"?

 
At 8/29/2007 7:01 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Do you know how many Germans (and Jews) left for Latin America after world war ii?? My father is of Polish-Jewish descent and his parents are survivors of Aushwitz - they got a passport and visa from a French couple outside the displaced person's camp where they met - our last name, hence, is French and not the same one they had originally. The Catholic Church helped thousands of Germans, Croatians, Hungarians and other soldiers and war sympathizers (i.e., ex Nazis) to emigrate to the Dominican Republic, Argentina and Brazil to name a few. Mexican actress Salma Hayek has a Lebanese name because there are large immigrant communities from the middle east in Latin America. Because Ingrid has a "german oriented" name does not bely her hispanic/latino background - to question this on the basis of the sounding of her name is rather disengenous to say the least. Are you "scared" of Barack "Hussein" Obama too? (hope not). Roberto desde Miami

 
At 8/30/2007 12:07 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes I am but not because of his name. Rather, it is his stand on issues I deem of crucial importance.

PS--How did you arive at my being "scared" of Ingrid Hoffman or her name? ("are you "scared of Barack "Hussein" Obama,too?") What???

 
At 8/30/2007 5:18 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

"scared" was undoubtedly an inappropriate verb of choice - I suppose I meant to infer if you felt Ingrid wasn't latin/hispanic enough because her name didn't have "appropriate ethnicity" because it didn't end in a vowell. As far as me being scared of Obama? Hmmm - I'm pretty frightened by my deadbeat Demo party rolling over and playing dead for a tinpot dictator for quite a while. He'll get his $50 billion more for Halliburton, oops, I meant the "soldiers" and no one will complain. Republicans will villify Craig for "homo"sex and let Vitter off the hook for seeing sluts (after all, if Craig resigns the senate seat stays red, if Vitter resigns - whole possible other issue with a Demo guv in the seat in Baton Rouge) - and whoever gets the Demo nomination will probably not have to much to say to bring our boys and girls home from the hell-crack Iraq - so the whole kit and kaboodle kinda frighten me. Am I gonna have to vote for Nader again to make a point??! Roberto desde Miami

 
At 8/31/2007 12:51 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ingrid Hoffman has the most grating personality on FN. Every time she speaks, it's like she takes this deep breath and pushes all her energy and air out, over dramatizing every single little word. I think she's good for those with attention deficit disorder with her acidic kitchen and crazy hand motions and annoying catch phrases and arduous speech patterns.

Of course this is just a matter of opinion. I prefer Ina Garten, Ellie Krieger, Giada, and Nigella. Those that like early Rachel Ray and Guy (don't know his last name) would probably like this woman.

 
At 9/01/2007 10:56 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

She keeps demanding that we smell/taste her food the camera and she freezes people in time. I really feel like she should be wearing a superhero outfit or something to take it to the next level of ridiculousness.

 
At 9/02/2007 7:31 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jeff-- How can you make a statement llke Latina's dress in a revealing manner? Not every Latina is a Rosie Perez or Ingrid Hoffman. So blacks, whites and every other race on the planet dress how exactly? Please describe for us so we know someone's race based on their attire.

 
At 9/03/2007 3:50 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

This show is terrible. The food is awful, She is fake and over the top. The NY times was very kind.
I want to snap my fingers and make her go away.

 
At 9/18/2007 1:31 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hate to tell you but there is truth behind every stereotype. If you are so naive as to ignore the obvious, than you are not in the same category as myself in intellect, therefore I believe you should not have a say nor a vote in anything. You are nothing more than a whinner. And you will do nothing but undermine the integrity of your "cause". Guess what? Latinas are known to dress sexy, because it is something at least in the culture if not in the genes. I have went out with many, many Spanish women. And many of them are aware of the stereotype and even play into it. If you do not agree, it is probably because you are fat, ugly and no one wants to look at you or be around you. And I am sure that is the problem. If you were a beautiful women you would not care. But you are not. And even worse you are bitter. Everyone on Earth knows Latin women have a sexy flair to them. You obviously do not, and you are sad. Too bad, life is not fair...

 
At 6/04/2008 12:28 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think it is offensive and a damn shame that she represents all "Latin" cuisines..there is so much variation ranging from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico and beyond. No it is not all the same, and her way is just a generic attempt to put something out...bad, bad, bad..malo, malo, malo!! it would be the same as having a Chinese cook butcher Japenese, Thai and Vietnames food...give the culinary roots respect!!!

 

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