Sir, – I’m lucky enough to be the producer of four of RTÉ's Christmas food programmes that will be broadcast this month and respectfully disagree with Sheelagh Coyle (Letters, November 28th) who wrote, “We don’t need any further advice on how to produce a Christmas dinner.” Each year, there are people who are cooking “the Christmas dinner” for the first time, and appreciate the advice offered on television and elsewhere. For many others, the familiarity and predictability of so many Christmas traditions – including the cookery shows – is a huge part of their appeal. I am sure that if Neven Maguire, for example, forsook the turkey and ham for octopus and ostrich there would be surprise, disappointment and possibly a little outrage. With so many genuinely outrageous things happening in our troubled world, some reassuring Christmas cooking tips will be, I hope, even more popular this year than usual. – Yours, etc,
DAVID HARE,
Caherdaniel,
Co Kerry.