How Len Deighton’s designs brought fun to the kitchen

Len Deighton’s cookstrips came as a breath of fresh air. Published in The Observer from 1962-66, their short, sharp instructions and ­simple hand-drawn illustrations were refreshing after the formal tone used by cookery writers at the time.

Deighton’s recipes were a masterclass in precise instructions that would shame most cookery writers today, this one included. With not a wasted word, yet no crucial detail missing, his recipes could be followed successfully by the most ­amateur of cooks.

Each strip contained not only a recipe and clear illustration of the method but also a scattering of clues to guide the reader to perfection: “¼ pint of milk and ¼ pint of water gives a lighter and more fragile crepe.” His recipe for canelés, a tricky little cake at the best of times, contained eight hints as to why yours may have failed. “Outside too dark? Oven too high.” “Some cooked more than others? ROTATE baking sheet!” On the making of short pastry: “TOO WET IS FATAL.”

The idea of presenting recipes in cartoon form was particularly appealing to those of us who had spent their childhood poring over copies of The Beano or Marvel comics. They appealed to our imagination. Deighton used the exclamation marks and upper-case letters of the comic cartoon to hammer home important points. When making an omelette: “Just combine the eggs. DON’T BEAT.” A recipe for mayonnaise contained the crucial instruction to add the oil S.L.O.W.L.Y. He stopped short of using ZAP! or POW! But we got the message.

He also understood that many of his readers were first-time cooks and needed plain English to demystify common French or Italian terms: “Gratins are quiche fillings put into dishes instead of pastry cases.” “Quenelles are fluffy dumplings poached in stock.” “Pici are robust noodles.” His comment that rillettes are “a rich fatty spread served with warm toast” sent this cook straight off to the butchers.

Occasionally Deighton bit off more than the format could chew. The simple recipes were the best. Those for omelettes, cheese straws and shoulder of lamb fit the style more successfully than those for more complicated fare. For this budding cook, the real fun of following his cookstrips was finding his helpful notes hidden among the illustrations like secret notes. Cooking times were written on the side of a saucepan. Helpful hints could be found inside the illustration of the mixing bowl.

The illustrations and clarity of his instructions probably encouraged more inexperienced cooks to have a go than any perfectly styled photograph ever could. Len Deighton’s cookstrips made following a recipe fun, and for that this cook says a heartfelt thank you.

Illustrations by Len Deighton