SABOR: Colombian-American Chef Ingrid Hoffmann Masters Art of Latin-Italian Fusion

Colombian-American television personality and restaurateur Ingrid Hoffmann is a sorceress in the kitchen, enhancing and elevating anything with a Latin twist. The chef has proven that with her latest endeavor, cultivating Latin-Italian fusion.

Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, and raised in Curaçao and Cali, she was raised by her mother, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef, as well as her pilot father. Chef Ingrid's fascination with food began at an early age; when she was so small she required a stepping stool to reach the stovetop.

"I grew up in my mother's kitchen, and basically I've been cooking professionally, I would say, since I was 13 years old, cooking in my mother's restaurant and for her catering business," said Hoffmann. "My love for cooking really comes from my love of eating, and I always felt that I'm a professional eater. Also, the reason, I really love to cook is to please people, to gather around people around the table. Feeding them is almost an act of love, it gives me a lot of joy to cook and feed people. Through the years, I've expanded. I have my own restaurant, my own food brand, my culinary cookware lines, my shows, and cookbooks. There are very few aspects of the food industry that I don't enjoy."

One of her latest projects involves teaming up with Barilla. Together, they've designed cultural unification, creating a number of dishes, including chicken and penne pasta Puerto Rico-style. With use of fresh ingredients, Latin flavors and pasta, a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, Hoffmann has created impressive one-pot meals.

"Pasta's the perfect ingredient to turn into a one-pot meal," said Chef Ingrid. "Add some veggies, add some flavor and add protein, and you have a complete meal for your family at a great budget price. Also, who doesn't like pasta? Kids love pasta. Grownups love pasta. Everyone loves pasta; it's one of the best ingredients to start with. It's one of those ingredients that cook faster than rice, and it can really fill you up."

According to Hoffmann, pasta is not only perfect for completing a dish, but it reheats well. Effortlessly, home cooks can make sauces weeks ahead and freeze it in portions, so it can be unthawed and consumed by family members. This is especially effective during the holidays.

"When you make everything ahead, you just stick them in the oven the day of the event," said Chef Ingrid. "So, I like using a lot of pasta for the holidays, and I like using it when I'm putting my Latin spin on it. For instance, I've made a kale chorizo lasagna rollatini, and veracruz shrimp rotini, as well. I've cooked using the idea of an arroz con pollo, making pasta con pollo. I made a tallarines verdes, which is like a Peruvian dish with pesto. It's really the fusion of Latino and Italian. Latino flavors and spices, and mixing them with the traditional Italian ingredients. It's perfect for helping to gather the family."

Chef Ingrid explained that she always strives to prepare and eat balanced meals. For her, any meal needs to have a balance of carbs, vegetables and proteins. Also, creating a great pasta dish is a terrific way to mask vegetables, so they can be fed discreetly to children. Adding a combination of herbs, spices and vegetables creates depth of flavor and it helps to evolve a child's palate.

"I like to mix all of my favorite ingredients from different cultures and cuisines, and make them my own," said Hoffmann. "I don't care if you're from Timbuktu, we all know what spaghetti is and what lasagna is, and we've all sort of grown up with the idea of spaghetti and meatballs. I grew up in Latin America, and I had that sort of food. I also think we have such an Italian influence in South America due to the Italian population. For instance, Argentina, Venezuela and Colombia have huge Italian populations. Their great flavors have always sprinkled into a lot of cultures."

With family and friends visiting and staying over for the holidays, delicious one-pot meals are a definite go-to for the chef. Her veracruz shrimp rotini, her pasta con pollo, and her pasta salad are gifts that keep on giving.

"One of the things I always like to do, but there's no recipe for it, is use leftovers from thanksgiving, for instance, and I turn them it into a pasta soup or salad," said Hoffmann. "If it's a lot of turkey, I'll shred it and turn it into a savory salad with pasta. But, if it's pumpkin puree or sweet potato puree, then I might turn it into a sweet salad. It's great, especially if you're entertaining. Pasta is always so easy, and if you only have pumpkin and turkey, you can make lasagna and stick it in the oven."