Call me old-fashioned but I really love dipping into a good magazine.
Ten years ago that statement would have been scoffed at. “Magazine? Surely you mean a good book!”
And now? Opening one’s Kindle doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. Nor does it give me the same satisfaction. I have a short concentration span. You can probably now guess why magazines appeal. It takes a really good book for me to read beyond the first fifty pages. (They don’t call me ‘Bottleneck Ali’ for nothing.)
My go-to section in the newsagent used to be fashion. I had just enough pocket money once a month to get Looks, More! or (if I were feeling precocious) Options, a sadly obsolete mag that allowed me to indulge my inner adult.
I never saw the need for a magazine that was mainly a recipe book.
Much as I loved baking, surely it was better to have a proper cookbook. You know, one by Delia Smith or Peter Rabbit. (Seriously, I did have a Peter Rabbit cookbook.)
But as I got older and gluten-free recipes were called for, I began to realise the value in a fat magazine laden with mouthwatering photos, a whole range of products to try and places to dine.
There are always new ideas I might not have thought of. Sometimes I don’t know what to type into a search engine and end up dissatisfied, wondering if there’s anything decent worth making beyond umpteen chocolate brownies. (Not that there’s anything wrong with a stash of warm brownies, mind; I’ll happily wolf down a tray or two.)
One of the best things about specific gluten-free magazines is there’s no judgement.
Go online and you might find yourself facing a barrage of abuse from people who think everyone eating gluten-free is doing it for faddy reasons (like trying to keep thin). But in the safe world of the magazine there’s acceptance and stories from others who’ve been through the same things as you (or worse, which is a strange comfort but comfort none-the-less as I can’t help feeling grateful my story’s not worse).
My only complaint is there’s never enough time in the month to sit down and read a magazine cover to cover, try out every delectable recipe and go to every recommended restaurant. Maybe the magazines should be made a little thinner…
What do you think about gluten-free magazines? Do they provide you with everything you need to know or is there something you wish they’d do (but don’t)? Do share your opinion below!