Time to Bake it Better – how getting naked can help reduce stress

Now is the time to get Naked Baking

As one in four 18-24-year-old people turn to their kitchens to reduce stress author of Naked Baking, Marianna Marks, believes now is the time to get naked baking.

“There is nothing like getting back in touch with yourself while producing something delicious.

“The act of stripping tried and tested family recipes down to its most basic components and steps to produce goods that can be attempted by people of all ages and skill levels almost anywhere, means letting go – getting naked with your emotions; getting back to reality.”

According to Marianna, Naked baking has nothing to do with baking in the buff.

Although of course you could if you wanted to.

Instead it was about learning to let go, being in the moment and trusting your instincts.

She explained:

I was very fortunate to have a grandmother who was a real-life hero to me.

Not only did she provide single-handedly for a family of five, but was a Home Economics inspector for the Namibian Education Authority.

Yet she still baked the most incredible cakes and biscuits for birthdays, fundraisers and special events.

When I first moved to the UK, it was her hand-written recipes that kept me grounded.

These gave me a way to deal with everyday stresses and living away from friends and family on the other side of the world.”

What inspired Naked Baking 

My grandmother became seriously ill just over a year ago and I asked her if I could share her recipes in a cookbook.

She agreed and promised me her hand-written recipe book that she had used for several decades.

Sadly this went missing en route.

When she passed away in December last year, I combined the recipes that she had given me around 15 years ago with others from my childhood in Southern Africa.

I had tested and adapted these to work over here and wrote Naked Baking – How your kitchen can help you heal.

The recipes are a combination of childhood stories

As well as simplified recipes for a range of popular Southern African dishes.

These include koeksisters, vetkoek, malva pudding and melktert.

According to the recent survey commissioned by Help for Heroes, around 26% of students said baking improved their mental health. Fourteen per cent of those with full-time jobs said they benefitted from baking.

Food for me is intricately connected with heritage, culture and emotion.

Naked Baking reflects my healing journey in M’s Kitchen after I experienced a number of personal losses.

My love of baking got me through these difficult times and allowed me to get in touch with myself and my emotions.

In M’s Kitchen we get to share our baking love with those we care about.

“I want to inspire others to bake and thereby find a way to relieve not just stress, but actually get in touch with their emotions is a tangible way while learning new skills.”

Naked Baking is currently available on Amazon, Kindle and at Wellfield Bookshop in Cardiff

Other books in the series are Braai Bytes. There are plans for Naked Cooking and Single Suppers

M’s Kitchen has a weekly live South African recipe cooking demonstration on Facebook