Dallas Woman Cooks Her Way Into Hearts
About two weeks ago, I had a strong craving for seafood; however, I didn’t want to venture to a neighboring restaurant. It must’ve been moments into my craving that I scrolled Facebook and saw so many of my Dallas friends posting images of seafood lobster boxes.
Insert Candace Chiles, one of my longtime Facebook friends. I messaged her about a lobster box and the next day she delivered it to me. Three tails of lobster, shrimp and dirty rice – freshly packaged and presented well. It took me two days and a friend to finish the generous portions.
“My family has a history of cooking,” says Chiles. “My mom has six children and I was second to the oldest - I started cooking very young, maybe around nine years old. I just kept watching her.”
However her journey began, hundreds of social media patrons are glad the cooking mom is continuing her journey and sharing her talents.
The 35-year-old Dallas native is an active mother of two children. Throughout their lives she has taken great pride in cooking various dishes for them. It wasn’t until a company that she served for seven years lay her off that Chiles even considered making a business out of her skills in the kitchen.
“I literally just shared some images of the normal food I cook for my family on social media,” laughs Chiles. “People would inbox me asking if I would cook to sale.”
Still, she was hesitant. Sharing personal dishes with strangers and even friends who can cook themselves can be a very vulnerable endeavor. Instead of backing away from the challenge completely, Chiles decided to start with desserts, brownies to be exact.
My sister asked me to bake something for her and she posted it on social media. Entering a state of depression after being laid off, that simple gesture by her sister would help Chiles get back on her feet and go more aggressively in the kitchen. Sure, with a good resume in healthcare she could secure a similar full-time position, but opportunity was calling.
“Cooking and baking for other people kind of saved me,” says Chiles.
With a daughter active in dance and a son very active in football, working full time from home now affords Chiles more time with her children. Her children definitely enjoy her being home and more available. While preparing orders a few nights ago, her son told her he remembered her working all the time and was happy to have her at home.
“At this time I love the flexibility of my schedule,” she says. “With this growing business I’m available for my children and I can manipulate my own schedule.”
Chiles is actively expanding her menu. Other cooks in the Dallas area are definitely selling seafood, but so far she doesn’t see anyone doing exactly what she does. She’s considering adding salmon, asparagus, smoked chicken salad and other dishes to her menu. She wants to offer items that people typically consider to be too expensive for a regular day.
“I want to have a variety of foods,” says Chiles. “But I want to make my menu affordable.”
The sky is the limit when it comes to food, as food will never go out of style. Figuratively speaking, Chiles’ kitchen has no limit. And fortunately enough for her, motivation comes from every direction. Her cousin Angela has her own catering business and has truly been her motivation according to Chiles. Her children are on board and incredibly supportive, often serving as her taste testers. The father of her children, Eric often helps Chiles with the deliveries.
“He’s very helpful and complimentary of my cooking,” says Chiles. “We’re working on a business plan together.”
Although still new to the business, Chiles is very grateful for all of the support. The Lincoln High School graduate says that the majority of her business comes from the Lincoln family and word of mouth sparked by Lincoln family. To show her appreciation, Chiles plans to offer a tasting of new dishes soon. Included will be her personal spin on cheesecakes.
“My main goal is to be available for my children,” ensures Chiles. “My second priority is to earn a living that will take care of them.”
