By Natalia Avilez–

“Barriga llena corazón contento” is a Spanish proverb when translated means a full stomach, a happy heart.  For celebrity, author and chef- Ingrid Hoffman, she has turned this metaphor into her reality.

Hoffman, 44, started her entertainment career as a soap-opera star over 20 years ago in her homeland Colombia.  After  marrying a “foreigner” Ingrid left her successful career behind and moved to Miami. When she was told that she was not Hispanic enough by casting directors to pursue her acting career, she turned to her second love- food.

With her new passion determination and apron in hand, Ingrid became the host of several cooking shows catering to both the Spanish and English market – Galavision/Univision’s “Delicioso,” and the Food Network’s “Simply Delicioso.”  In addition to becoming a celebrity chef including the first Hispanic host on the Food Network,  Ingrid continued to have her hand in many projects including writing a cookbook, “Simply Delicioso: A Collection of Everyday Recipes with a Latin Twist,” becoming the owner several businesses, and  starting Hope Kitchen- a Food Truck that  that not only serves burgers but employs the homeless and gives recent chefs internship opportunities.

Hoffman has swung the doors of being an entrepreneur wide open  it was not always this easy. Like many other women in the industry, Ingrid  faced many obstacles including a divorce, rejection and times of uncertainty.

Although she is not a trained chef, Ingrid tod me during a recent email interview that she credits her cooking skills to both her mother-a Cordon Bleu  chef, and her culture. Ingrid’s ancestors are of German descent, hence the last name Hoffman. She was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, raised in Cali, Curacao, and the Netherlands Antilles.

Here is a question and answer with this Latina chef.

Did you always envision yourself being in front of the camera? If not, what was your childhood dream job?

IH: No I never did, I actually stumbled upon this. A friend had asked me to do short cooking segments in her show as a favor. And look where it took me.

A couple of interviews stated that  you faced some type of rejection when you tried to continue your acting career in Miami and were not dubbed as not being Latina enough. There was also a time that you mentioned while you were on your road to self-discovery there were some feelings of doubt and confusion. How did you overcome these obstacles?

IH: Doubt and confusion is something normal for me; I always have many ideas, dreams and passions or the opposite can be true where I go through spells of being creatively dry. But it comes with the territory of being curious and intense and obsessed so at this age I have learned that it is OK to be confused sometimes and that I do not always need to know how to figure it out.

My food reflects a lot of who I am – a “MUTT.” Because all of my ancestors where from different places and  where brought up in different countries like my self I have many different cultures in me. I not only grew up eating from all these different countries but love cooking food from our 22 Latin countries including Spain.”

What advice can you offer other Latina women who may be facing similar hurdles in respects to pursing their dreams?

IH:  First is define your dream, put in on paper and somewhere where you see it every day! Then go about editing it in to 1st year, 2nd year, etc. and make a list of the steps you need to achieve to in stages in order to built the road to the dream….. I call it my flight plan and it is taped on the mirror of my bathroom, it allows me to stay focused.

Keeping the success of your shows and book in mind (and if there was a time machine that could take you back in time) what is one piece of advice or quote that would tell  your younger self?

IH: Pick something you love and then work very hard to be the best at it, giving it your all. It’s never easy and do not give up. Perhaps reassess when it’s needed and make shifts and changes when needed, cover all your basis, do your homework and research all!

As far as her dreams and goals are concerned Ingrid is not only crossing many of them off of her list, but also setting new goals in mind. She plans to do some work with the Oye Chica Foundation, a foundation to help empower women in disadvantaged areas and continues to pursue her writing career, her People en Español monthly page, her next two books, as well as releasing a cookware line including salsa, sauces and spices.

For more information on Ingrid Hoffman or to learn more about Latin Burger, the social media gourmet truck on wheels, you can log onto one of the many social networking sites that she is a part of including twitter and facebook.

Natalia Avilez is a writer based in Chicago.