About

Hey there! I’m Allison, the creator and recipe developer behind One Happy Dish.

I have a true passion for preparing fresh, seasonal real food recipes. Like super fresh, right from the farmers market to the table kind of fresh. 👍

I also have a bit of an obsession a huge obsession with fermented foods. (Send help…and extra kimchi please.)

But it wasn’t always like this...I mean, I grew up eating a pretty well-rounded diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, but I'd certainly never heard of kefir.

Some background

I spent my early childhood in rural Colorado, just outside of Boulder. We had a garden which sounds even more awesome to my now city-dwelling self. So many hours were spent there, sitting with the veggies and tilling the soil with my fingers.

Then when I was 10 we relocated to New York and settled into suburbia in the Hudson River Valley, just north of NYC. And that's when some new foods started entering our dining repertoire and food things started to get interesting. My love of cooking and exploring new flavors was clear from that point forward.

Thinking back now, I'll bet it was the Reuben sandwiches that made their way into our kitchen (often). Be still my beating heart the sauerkraut that oozed from those beauties. Or maybe it was all the cured and smoked fish that usually took the form of lox and bagels on the weekends (okay, not technically a fermented food, but salt curing is along the same lines.) Oh and the sourdough bread. Oh, those lovely loaves of fresh sourdough that graced our kitchen table…

When I ultimately landed in downtown Boston my 20's, I found myself surrounded by even more culinary goodness. I seriously couldn’t get enough miso soup, kimchi and kombucha. I was in love. ❤️ And this love affair led me down my current path of wanting to know everything about these alluring foods. Why did they taste so good? How I could make them myself? And how could I incorporate them into recipes to create some seriously next level dishes?

The mission

I wanted to learn how to ferment and culture fresh, seasonal foods just like our ancestors did. I wanted to learn it all. And sharing what I’d learned in an easy and creative way became the spark for this blog, and my personal mission. Oh and my (not-so-secret) mission is to get that jar of sauerkraut out from under the depths of your fridge and tempt you to use it. 😉

What you'll find here

I try to create super fun, easy recipes based on dishes you're probably already familiar with, but many that incorporate a fermented or cultured food or two. Like this old fashioned apple crisp recipe topped with whipped Greek yogurt. (So good!!) I also publish guides on how to ferment vegetables and other foods at home, like this basic sauerkraut recipe.

But if home fermentation is not your thing, that's cool! It does require time and patience, even though the steps involved are generally pretty easy.

Besides, there are so many great cultured products available nowadays in the produce department; just look for fresh sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha and more in your local grocery store. I'll bet you'll find more than you think! And of course: the almighty yogurt and fresh (real) pickles are great choices too.

Full disclosure: I get busy and lazy too—so I OFTEN buy fermented products out and about if I see them. Then I can use them in recipes anytime, no fermentation time required.

You'll also find lots of fresh salads, sides and main dishes here that don't have anything fermented, but that do have super awesome ingredients and easy prep for a busy weeknight.

And if you've stumbled across any of the desserts on the site, you might also appreciate the sweetness and joy these traditional homemade goodies bring to simply enjoying life. I know I do! They remind us of our childhood and bring us together during times of celebration.

So feel free to poke around, see what looks interesting and try something new. I’d love to know how it turns out!