Chica Tips From Ingrid Hoffmann

Ingrid Hoffman is, of course, the food and decor expert who hosts her own show on Food Network, Simply Delicioso. Her fans love to see the flair she throws around the kitchen and we can’t wait to see what she’s going to cook up next.

A favorite part of each show is what Ingrid calls “Chica Tips.” These tips are golden advice about shopping, cooking, time savers, fashion savvy, and entertaining.

Below are some of our favorite “Chica Tips!”

• Extra sauce?  Pour into ice cube trays and freeze for easy single portions to add into sauces or as stock in soups.
• Marinade wisely:  For best results, marinade in a plastic zipper top bag with the air squeezed out.  Why? Marinating is a chemical process – the lower the temperature, the more slowly the reaction occurs.  The degree to which food is covered by the marinade also influences its effectiveness – the greater the coverage, the faster the reaction because liquid is superior to air.
• Extend the life of herbs and greens by loosely wrapping a damp paper towel around them and storing in a plastic bag.
• Stock up!  A well-stocked pantry and freezer is one of the best secrets to easy and fast home-cooked meals.
• Save burned rice… Transfer the scorched grains into a clean container with a lid and place a whole peeled onion in the center.  Cover with more rice, allowing the onion to absorb the burned flavor and odor.  Let stand for 15 – 20 minutes. Remove onion and serve.
• Fruit saver:  Freeze fruit that is about to spoil and use in the future for making juice or sauce.
• Outfit saver:  Do not add salt to food that will be fried as it will extract moisture and make the oil splatter.
• Don’t cry over onions:  Light a candle and place in front of the cutting board to prevent tears.
• Scarf Decor:  Put this accessory to work as unique centerpieces and tablecloths, chic tops with jeans or tied around your handbag a la Grace Kelly.
• Garlic Powder:  Crush a clove of garlic and slip it into your clear nail polish as a natural nail hardener.
• Olive Oil Beauty:  Mix olive oil and egg yolks and apply to hair for a deep conditioning masque.
• Simple entertaining:  One-dish meals and semi-homemade tapas are becoming popular choices for easy and delicious dinner party menus.

I’d be willing to bet you’d never heard of the garlic in nail polish!  I love the tip about olive oil and egg yolks as a hair conditioner.  If you (like me) frequently use egg whites as part of a facial – Ingrid Hoffmann’s tip will give you a way to use the whole egg, instead of being wasteful and throwing the yolk out – now we can use it to make our hair as snazzy as our faces!

And if you happen to feed birds, you can crush up the egg shells and throw them in with their birdseed.  The birds at our feeders love egg shells and I read that they’re good for them.

For more about Ingrid Hoffmann, visit her website Simply Delicioso.  You can also find videos and recipes on Food Network’s Simply Delicioso with Ingrid Hoffmann.