Serving up “a Liberal Helping” of recipes inside Ad Lib magazine

As with most (if not all) food bloggers, my dream has always been to see one of my articles published in classic hard copy. To be able to hold the text in my hands and run my fingers across the page, instead of simply staring at a computer screen and hitting the scroll button. To be able to observe my photographs catching the eye in glossy print, instead of merely being one shot on an everlasting luminous instagram feed. To be able to file the recipe alongside my favourite cookbooks on the shelf for future use, instead of just saving the dish’s corresponding image to a Pinterest board to be forgotten immediately.

So I’m delighted to announce that this long-held fantasy has finally become a reality! This weekend sees the launch of Ad Lib, a new monthly magazine for Liberal Democrat members and supporters, and the first edition features my version of Nigella Lawson’s Coca Cola braised ham, with an additional sweet mustard glaze in its regular cooking slot “A Liberal Helping”.

I hinted at this exciting new development in my food writing as part of #Week48 of #Project366. Now the digest is landing on the doorsteps of every single Party member in the country, and I must confess to feeling a twinge of nervousness too…

The magazine itself looks superb, and I’m very grateful to Editor Phil Reilly for giving me this opportunity and to Lisa Ryszkowska for styling my article in such an appealing manner. But with an online blog it is impossible to know how many people (if any) are reading your posts. Here, I know that tens of thousand of people are currently flicking through Ad Lib’s pages and perusing my recipe amongst the mixture of exclusive news, gossip and political views - it’s quite a daunting thought!

It says on Ad Lib’s facebook page, “The Liberal Democrats are a family. We share deeply held convictions on life, liberty and society, and we love nothing more than to argue politics and policy long into the night. But we are more than just like-minded individuals. We campaign together, help each other and socialise together.” This perfectly describes the organisation that has such a huge part of my life since I first discovered politics as a teenager, and I love the idea of a group of Lib Dem activists tucking in to this ham together after a busy day knocking on doors and delivering leaflets.

I really hope that people enjoy my article and subscribe to the magazine so they can read more recipes from myself and others over the coming months. As the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and I know that Liberal Democrats aren’t shy (!) so I’m keen to hear feedback from anyone who’s tested my recipes. Equally, if you have any suggestions for future dishes please tweet Ad Lib magazine and let us know – I’ve already had requests for vegetarian meals and for baked goods!