A Spotlight On Allrecipes Allstar: Sophie Sadler

Sophie is one of the 60 million cooks in our Allrecipes community and an Allrecipes Allstar.

What is an Allstar? Food bloggers, registered dietitians, and more home cooks (just like you!) make up our enthusiastic squad of 100+ brand ambassadors. This crew of food lovers has submitted thousands of recipes, photos, and reviews over the years, plus shared their cooking expertise all over our website and social channels. In short, they make all of our cooking adventures more successful. Interested in becoming an Allrecipes Allstar? Learn more, and sign up here.

Q&A with Sophie

Allrecipes: Tell us about yourself! 

Sophie Sadler: I grew up in Germany and first came to the United States as an exchange student when I was 16. I eventually moved back to attend college and graduated with degrees in finance and marketing. I started my German food blog, dirndl kitchen, in 2015, after leaving a corporate job that had me feeling harassed and unappreciated. My blog was inspired by my dear grandma Sieghilde and her authentic German cooking and baking. Dirndl kitchen is a way for me to stay connected to my German heritage through food and connect others to theirs.

AR: What is in your fridge? 

SS: Loads of condiments like hot sauces, bbq sauces (we live in Kansas City), and all sorts of pickles! 

AR: What is your favorite easy weeknight Allrecipes dish you love to cook?

SS: I make these enchiladas all the time using 1/2 a rotisserie chicken, and they’re so good! We love Mexican (-inspired) food!

AR: Do you cook with your children? 

SS: Yes, my older daughter is so into it!! She is four-years old now and owns more aprons than I do. 

AR: What was your most memorable meal? What, where, who – details, please!

SS: It’s really the simple meals at my grandma’s kitchen table. Take potato pancakes for example. My grandma would put them on our plates fresh from the frying pan because that’s how they taste best. We then top them with sugar, sour cream, and applesauce.

AR: What is one thing you wish people understood about German cuisine?

SS: That it’s not just pretzels and bratwurst and beer. There is so much more to German food that deserves to be explored! 

Authentic German Recipes

Being in the kitchen and cooking authentic German recipes helps Sophie feel less homesick. It’s a way for her to stay connected to her German heritage and connect others who are homesick for Germany to theirs. Sophie loves recreating the best versions of her beloved German foods, from her Oma Sieghilde's creamy German potato salad to Spaghettieis (spaghetti ice cream). She prides herself on providing clear step-by-step instructions making it easy to recreate these delicious recipes at home.

Every family seems to have their recipe for potato salad so it’s not surprising that Sophie's family has their version, which is a creamy salad packed with fresh ingredients and no raw onions (because Oma didn't care for them)! This is the perfect side dish for their family's grill outs. Oma's potato salad, similar to this creamy German Potato Salad, is super easy to make!

Sharing Culture Through Food

In Sophie’s cooking, everything is influenced by her German upbringing, and now she’s creating those memories for her family right from her kitchen island. In the corner of her kitchen is a photo of her grandma, her Oma, Sieghilde taking a shot and making a funny face. "I think she would be very proud of how far I've come with dirndl kitchen," says Sophie.

To Sophie, being a home cook means getting curious and being open to exploring new foods. For her, it's an opportunity to travel the world one bite at a time. She believes there is no better way to get to know a different culture than by cooking those foods at home. Growing up, Sunday afternoons were reserved for laid-back cake and coffee time. Now, on the weekends, she often bakes with her girls. It could be anything: coffee cake, frosted cake, muffins, strudel, or other pastries. Her kids love helping, creating the best memories together, and learning new skills! 

Learn more about Sophie and what she's cooking in her kitchen!