5 JANUARY 1991, Page 20

Bon marche

Sir: Nigella Lawson's contributions give us much amusement. It is such fun to read of the often curious dishes which people in the UK are apparently prepared to eat and pay for at astronomic prices.

We here in the arriere pays of the South of France live on another planet. Yester- day we lunched in a hill village with a population of a thousand and ate: Hors d'oeuvres varies chaud et froid, jambon au madere, le coq en croute avec legumes, fromage et dessert, five courses all conven- tionally but perfectly cooked and beautiful- ly served. The bill with a good wine came to the equivalent of £25 for two.

Pamela Guy Jones

Esterella, Seillans, France