Ingrid Hoffmann adds a Latin twist to the culinary world

For years, “Simply Delicioso” and “Delicioso” host and chef Ingrid Hoffmann has been known for adding a Latin twist to the culinary world.

That’s exactly what the Miami-based television personality and restaurateur will be doing as the new host of Telemundo’s “Top Chef Estrellas.” The all-Spanish reality show begins its second season in January.

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“It’s a new chapter for me to show myself in a different way,” Hoffmann told VOXXI. “I’m not cooking, I’m hosting. After doing cooking shows for 15 years, it’s nice to do something different.

“I’ve never been on nighttime television. Everything I’ve done my entire life has been cooking shows and generally are on in the morning. I think that it’s going to expose me to an entire new audience, and I’m looking forward to that. So it’s an exciting time.”

That excitement extends to “Top Chef Estrellas,” which for the first time will feature ten celebrities competing for the “Top Chef” title and a total of $100,000 awarded to charities of their choice.

Joining Hoffmann will be returning judges and renowned chefs. The lineup includes former host and author Lorena Garcia, who competed in season four of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters,” as well as James Beard award nominees Chef Jaime Martin Del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu, both of whom own Los Angeles’ award-winning restaurant “La Casita Mexicana.”

As for the celebrities, they run the gamut from athletes to musicians and entertainers. The list includes Gabriel Coronel, Kimberly Dos Ramos, Sissi Fleitas, Judith Grace, Fabian Rios, Don Pedro Rivera, Maripily Rivera, Henry Santos, Fernando Vargas and Gabriela Vergara.

“You get to see celebrities in a very different manner, very personal,” said Hoffmann, who is the author of “LATIN D’LITE” and “Simply Delicioso: A Collection of Everyday Recipes with a Latin Twist.” “The pressure is intense with a lot of drama. The contestants had to live a little bit like ‘Big Brother’ with everybody in a home. There was a lot of competition and fighting.

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“Here they are famous people and they don’t want to lose the challenges and look like idiots, so there was a lot of drama that comes with all of that and a lot of personal things that happened in their life.”

As for the notion of “Top Chef Estrellas” being an American production in Spanish, Hoffmann believes this is just the tip of the iceberg regarding a wholesale change to the television landscape.

“This is the beginning,” Hoffmann said. “The genre is new to the Latin market so I think we have a good chance. Latinos love food – our culture is very food-centric and part of our whole life. Latinos cook at home everyday, and Latinos love celebrity. I think the show has all of the components for it to do really well. It did well in season 1, that’s why they brought it back.”

She added, “I think it’s going to make really good television.”

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