Hi there, I'm Danica!
I'm the friendly face behind Danica Dishes and I'm so glad you're here.
A few things about me:
- I LOVE potatoes. Like, I could eat them every day, in some shape or form, and never get sick of them. So you can expect to see plenty of potato-focused recipes around here.
- My typical coffee order is a hazelnut latte with oat milk — iced or hot, it just depends on the day.
- Given the choice, I'd pick cookies over cake — every single time.
- I became a vegetarian at age 12 as a New Year's resolution and over a $20 bet with my dad. I've gone back and forth between vegetarianism and veganism over the years, but lean heavily toward a fully plant-based diet.
- I've been experimenting with gluten-free eating since the age of 16 when I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Sadly, it's one of the foods I don't tolerate well anymore — but instead of letting it get me down, it's fueled my journey to find the best gluten-free alternatives out there.
How Danica Dishes Came to Be
Danica Dishes began as a simple food column in my university newspaper, where I shared food news, restaurant reviews, and recipes, but my love for food began much earlier.
From my very first newspaper article, I knew I'd discovered a new passion and a way to combine my lifelong love of food with my media communications degree.
After college, I moved to Orlando and started experimenting with food photography. When March 2020 hit, I realized I needed an at-home hobby, and soon, the Danica Dishes Instagram account was born.
What started as a fun way to share with friends turned into meeting new online foodie friends, and a growing hunger to create even more. Eventually, I began offering freelance food photography and recipe development services to businesses and food bloggers. And after doing that for a few years, in 2024, I decided to take the plunge and start a blog of my own.
What You Can Expect
Having lived with dietary restrictions due to chronic illness for nearly half my life, I'm pretty well-versed in plant-based, gluten-free eating, and I know it can be just as delicious as your traditional favorites.
At Danica Dishes, I share approachable, vegan, gluten-free recipes for the home cook. I firmly believe that eating with food restrictions doesn't have to be a sacrifice and I'm here to show you how.
In addition, you'll find supportive resources to help you navigate a plant-based, gluten-free lifestyle. I share my go-to products, restaurant recommendations, and so much more. No gatekeeping here, friends!
So once again, thank you for being here, and I hope you stick around. Feel free to reach out with any questions or comments at [email protected].