Hi, I’m Candice! I am an Iranian-Jewish recipe developer, photographer, and content creator behind Proportional Plate.
I grew up with the delicious smells of my mom’s cooking and an early appreciation for the wonderful variety and depth of flavor in Persian cuisine. From afternoons after school preparing herbs for Ghormeh Sabzi to being my mom’s sous chef for large dinner parties, learning to cook from my mom and grandmother are formative memories from my childhood.
Now I specialize in creating recipes that blend traditional Jewish and Persian flavors and ingredients. Proportional Plate honors the flavor profiles of both cultures to create dishes that are authentic and delicious.
I have dedicated decades to understanding the nuances of Persian cuisine – the right spices to use, how to prepare the ingredients, and how to bring out the unique flavors of each dish. This blog is a place where I share extensive advice for my readers on where to find traditional ingredients, as well as tips on how to use them properly. I thoroughly test every single recipe I publish, and I design creative ways to make my dishes kosher, dairy-free, and provide vegan/vegetarian versions or substitutions to suit all needs.
Oh, and I have a strong obsession with matcha green tea and work it into any type of food I can, so you’ll be able to find plenty of matcha recipes on my blog!
Just like I found my own path and love for food, my blog encourages you to choose your own adventure and pleasures in your own food journey. I champion body and choice-positivity and warmly welcome everyone to my blog no matter where you are on your journey.
Wondering what my day-to-day looks like?
Well, you can find me:
- Calling my grandma to recreate an old Persian recipe and figure out how I can make it with proper measurements.
- Trying to work matcha into every recipe I can from French silk pie to panna cotta to matcha cookies (even if it takes 15 tries!)
- Seeing if I can improve the reputation of recipes like gefilte fish with some fresh salmon or my other favorite ingredients.
- Designing and remodeling kitchens.
- Using my photography and videography skills for my work and to help my clients show off their creations and products.
- Learning and educating myself about food sustainability and proportional eating.
Working on a kitchen remodel? See what a food blogger’s experience can bring to your kitchen design!
Fun facts about me…
- I live in Portland, OR and love how close it is to so many outdoor activities. Nature fuels me in a way nothing else does. I spend as much of my time as I can playing outside and in my garden.
- I married my best friend, and we quit our jobs to travel around the world for a year. We want to do it again….soon.
- I am a certified yoga instructor but don’t teach anymore. Most of my working out now is rock climbing related.
- I have a mixed heritage and have lived in other countries, so you will find fusion influences in most of my recipes.
- I LOVE learning everything I can about food & its impact on our health and well-being.
- I throw pottery, and you’ll see my latest pieces in my photos.
FAQs about Candice & the blog
When I started my blog, my founding philosophy was the idea of eating proportionally. To me, this means feeling the freedom to eat foods that feel good to your body and in portions that feel good to your body. Portion has such on how foods feel to you. One scoop of ice cream can make you feel satiated and alive and happy but three scoops can make you feel sluggish and have a headache. It’s all about learning what works for your body and taking a personalized approach. My friend Angelique took my philosophy and turned it into the name Proportional Plate!
I test all of my recipes but the process depends on the requirements of a specific recipe. The goal of recipe testing for me is to ensure that the recipe works for anyone who finds it on my blog and wants to give it a go. I test every recipe several times to make sure that it comes out reliably. For example, for my 2-ingredient Dole whip recipe, I tested seven different versions over many years with multiple taste testers before getting to my final result.
I try making my recipes using different equipment or different temperatures to see which works best. There are so many variables in cooking that affect the outcome, so I need to try and find the best options and then recommend those to my readers. It’s also important to me to provide substitution options so people can make changes to the recipe if they need to, for example, if they eat dairy-free or vegan. I always offer substitution options in my ingredient section.
I also pay close attention to the comments on my recipes and use those to guide me to make the recipe better. If people are struggling with something or something’s not working properly, I try to help them troubleshoot it, and add those back into the post as tips. I even regularly retest my recipes from years ago just to make sure they’re still getting consistent results and bringing me joy.
I do all my own photography! In the beginning, when my blog was simply a way to share my recipes with friends and family, I needed to snap pictures of the the final result to help them along. I wasn’t an experienced photographer in those days so I started teaching myself how to photograph my recipes.
My photography style has evolved a lot since those early days and I’ve become much more confident experimenting with lighting and composition. Making food look appetizing in a photo is harder than making it look appetizing to your naked eye! I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I have developed my photography to a professional level where others hire me to do the photography, and I even teach.
I don’t blog full-time, I also work as a GM at an engineering firm. A lot of people are surprised to find out that I have a background in mechanical engineering and mathematics! I’ve had periods where it feels like I’m working on my blog as a full-time job, especially when I’m pushing out a lot of recipes and completing client work. I also freelance as a kitchen designer which I love because I have so much knowledge and expertise of how a kitchen should function that I can pass on to my clients.
Absolutely! My blog was born because I was cooking for myself and meal-planning for myself. Friends asked me for the recipes and wanted guidance on making those dishes. I have recipes on my blog that I have been making at home for many, many years. They are my favorites, my husband’s favorites, my sister’s favorites, and my friend’s favorites… my entire repertoire of recipes is well-loved and cherished!
I don’t follow any particular diet, but I can describe some themes in the way that I eat. I try to keep to this idea of proportional eating. This means something different to everybody, but to me, it means that I try to have a higher ratio of vegetables to meat in my diet. I try to eat around 80% plant-based foods, I try to eat high-nutrient foods, and I try to eat seasonal produce as a way to eat more sustainably. I don’t eat dairy-free or vegan, but I make sure that I have recipes on my blog that can work for people who follow both of these diets. I always want to provide flexibility for people’s individual preferences.
I once did an elimination diet and dedicated myself to learning about which foods made me feel good in my body and which ones I truly enjoyed eating. I think your diet is an exciting chance for you to choose your own adventure, and you can fill it with the foods that bring you joy and make you feel amazing.
Half the battle when you’re new to cooking is practicing the techniques that help you make delicious food. I would start simple and try some dishes that don’t have too many steps but yield great results, like my Matcha Rice Krispy Treats, the best Steak Tacos you’ll ever have, Balsamic Herb Chicken Thighs, Garlic Basil Pesto to serve with some store-bought pasta or homemade gnocchi, or Khoresh e Beh, a Persian Quince and Beef Stew.
Hire Me
If you’re looking for an experienced professional to help you:
- Create and test recipes for publications, restaurants, and food companies.
- Create original recipes, adapt existing recipes, or develop new methods of preparation.
- Style and photograph your recipes or products.
- Direct and produce videos for Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube.
- Write expert food articles and content
- Design and/or manage your kitchen renovation project
Or all of the above, let’s talk! Please send your inquiry to [email protected].
Client Testimonial
Candice Walker of Proportional Plate is a thoughtful and diligent content creator and recipe developer. She has been a part of our Copper River Salmon sampling program for several years. Her photos and recipes are always beautifully on-brand and exciting, colorful, and delicious. Hosting her here in Alaska at the source on an immersive familiarity tour years ago, we forged a personally and professionally enriching friendship between our two brands.
Christa H., Executive Director, Copper River Salmon
Candice was a great guest on our podcast, Modern Persian Food. She came well prepared and provided in-depth perspective to the topic we were discussing. Candice is easy to talk to and we had fun working together. She followed up with useful and valuable resources which we were able to share with our listeners. Thank you Candice!
Beata Nazem Kelley & Bita Arabian, Modern Persian Podcast
Press, interviews, and publications
Candice has been interviewed on the AllRecipes Homemade Podcast, Modern Persian Food, Dishing Podcast, The Fit Fifteen, and Eat Blog Talk. She has been named one of Perez Hilton’s ‘Who’s Who’ that you need to know. Candice also does regular cooking demos for KATU Afternoon Live, Williams Sonoma, and the Megan Pormer Show on Playworks.
Candice’s recipes have been featured in AllRecipes Magazine, BuzzFeed, Eater, Vents Magazine, Parade, Shape, Williams Sonoma Taste, and more.
Her professional clients include Headspace, Procter & Gamble, Kroger, Tillamook, OXO, Mr. Clean, RX, The Mushroom Council, American Lamb Board, Copper River Salmon.
She also is a resident creator at Pinterest.
Select example work
Modern Persian Food Podcast | Demystify the Ancient Persian Medicine of Hot and Cold Food | October 2022
BuzzFeed | Now That It’s Finally November, Here Are 30 Super Seasonal Recipes To Make On Repeat This Month | November 2021
Eater | Eater Explains Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Persimmons | November 2021
AllRecipes Magazine | “What’s the Most Valuable Player in Your Kitchen Toolbox?”| August/September 2021 Issue
AllRecipes Homemade Podcast | Episode 49: Growing Ingredients at Home With Zac Posen and Candice Walker | July 2021
Perez Hilton | Here is Our Top ‘Who’s Who’ that You Need to Know | May 2021
Dishing Podcast | Episode 109 | May 2021
AllRecipes | Quoted in One Year Later: How the Pandemic Changed Home Cooking | March 2021
Vents Magazine | Recipe Feature | December 2020
The Megan Pormer Show | Episode 3, Episode 9, and March 6 on Playworks| 2020/2021
Eat Blog Talk Podcast | Episode 151 | November 2020
The Fit Fifteen Podcast | Episode 167 | 2020
Media kit available on request. See below contact form for links to select collaborations.
Contact Me
[email protected]
5331 S. Macadam Ave. #258-428
Portland, OR 97239