READ THE PROVENCE COOKBOOK By Patricia Wells
 BY JIM MELANSON

Planning or just daydreaming about a trip to Provence?

Patricia Wells' latest book does wonders for your appetite when it comes to that charming region of rustic cuisine.

In addition to 175 recipes for home chefs - including such Provencal goodies as summer herb bread, chilled tomato soup with goat cheese and olive puree, anchovy dip with steamed cauliflower and rabbit stuffed with pistachios and sage - Wells serves up a cassoulet of practical info about the area for culinary-minded travelers.

The food critic for the International Herald Tribune (who divides her time between Paris and a farmhouse in the South of France) also shares her many delightful experiences with local farmers, chefs, artisans and winemakers.

It's all a savory read, whether for the armchair-bound or airport-bound.

HarperCollins ($29.95, 338 pages)