Len Deighton has written many ace spy stories. It's a little less known that he wrote a number of innovative and brilliant cook books. First published in 1965 by Penguin (of course), Ou Est Le Garlic features Deighton's own "cookstrips" that illustrate basic French home cooking techniques, processes and dishes. It's not surprising to learn, when you see them, that the man had worked as a graphic artist and his strips had been featured in the London Observer before being published in book form.
How appropriate that the cover was designed by a French man, Jacques Dehornois, in Paris. Although not the prettiest design when viewed today, I really admire it; trying hard as it does to look like the window of an authentic French bistro rather than a book.
Related trivia I know about Deighton:
In my favourite film of all time, The Ipcress File, you can see Deighton's cookstrips pinned to a post in Harry Palmer's kitchenette and when Palmer seduces Courtney with his culinery prowess and cracks an egg into his frying pan with one hand, Caine was unable to do it so the hand you see is in fact Deightons.
I haven't seen a cookbook illustrated quite like that and have never heard the term "cook strip." Cool - thanks for the brain expansion!
Posted by: Amy | 30 July 2006 at 10:21 PM
the best understandeble coockbook ever written / drawn for those who just start in the kitchen.
Posted by: Mike Lezer | 28 May 2008 at 05:55 PM
You may know that Len Deighton produced further cook books in this cookstrip style: 'Basic French Cooking' and 'The ABC of French Food'. You can find more information on these at my Deighton Dossier website: http://www.deightondossier.net
Posted by: Rob Mallows | 22 February 2009 at 10:27 AM