DO’ing something different

We continue our regular new series on dispensing opticians ‘DO’ing something different’ by putting fellow foodies – Nayna Kanabar and Marisha Rayner – in the spotlight.

Nanya busy in her kitchen

Nayna and Marisha share a passion for food and cookery, and when not working in practice can be found in the kitchen and sharing foodie content, tips and recipes online.

Qualified dispensing optician Nayna currently works in an independent practice three days a week, before which she worked in a multiple for 23 years. Nayna has also been a food blogger for almost 14 years – and when the Covid- 19 pandemic hit, she took her creativity around food to the next level.

“I started my cooking YouTube channel during lockdown in 2020,” she says, “and I now teach vegetarian and vegan cookery classes.” Nayna continues: “I have always been passionate about food and I have a vegetarian food blog, where I share a range of recipes from all over the world. I develop, cook, present, style and photograph all my own recipes to feature on my blog. I also share my recipes on my Instagram page.

“During the first lockdown, whilst I was furloughed, I brushed up on my filming and video editing skills by watching YouTube and started a YouTube vegetarian cookery channel as an extension to my blog.”

Nanya’s vegetable gyozo

Nayna started teaching vegetarian and vegan cookery classes three years ago, and when lockdown happened shifted the classes online via Zoom. “I have also written two cookbooks, 50 Quick and Easy Vegetarian Snacks and 50 Dishes with Potatoes, in collaboration with a publishing company.

“I enjoy being a dispensing optician, but I decided to reduce my working days to three days to allow me time to pursue my food passion.”

Visit Nayna’s Simply Food blog at www.simplysensationalfood.com

Great optics bake-off

Marisha with her rissoles

Full-time dispensing optician Marisha Rayner started baking during her first year at ABDO College to help her take a break from studying. During lockdown last year, she started a cooking blog on Instagram.

Marisha says: “I’d always thought about having a go at doing a cooking blog, but never seemed to have the chance to do. So, with lockdown, I thought why not?”

Last year, Marisha developed her cooking and baking further, attempting recipes she’d never tried before. “I tried recipes from cookbooks, and completed some of the Great British Bake Off Challenges such as babkas and rainbow bagels. I’ve even been lucky to have some of my dishes ‘liked’ on social media by Chris Baber, who is currently doing the M&S Food adverts, and was recently tagged on one of his ‘stories’.

“One of my cakes was reposted onto the BBC Good Food Instagram page and it’s been ‘liked’ by more than 3,500 people, which feels like a massive achievement in my cooking adventures.

“Since lockdowns have lifted, I still manage to keep an active cooking and reviewing blog on my Instagram page – called @cooking_with_marisha – whilst being a full-time dispensing optician at Specsavers Swansea in South Wales.

“I know my colleagues love if I’ve been baking. I even managed to do some eyeball cupcakes for Halloween last year. I really enjoy discussing my cooking with people and sharing ideas I’ve tried and recipes I’ve used,” Marisha adds.

One of Marisha’s baking creations

This article first appeared in the February 2022 issue of Dispensing Optics.

Our DO’ing something different series continues next month with craft-loving DOs.