Carrot cake that will make Von Trapps sing

Andre Burgener has been immersed in all things food since she took over the making of the family's lunch box sandwiches aged eight (her mom could make a mean creme brulee and a staggering souffle, but could never butter the bread all the way to the edges.

KANPYO UNWRAPPED

WITH so many fish species disappearing from the sea and from our tables, and with the remaining options - I'm talking prawns and salmon - usually containing a hidden helping of antibiotics and ocean degradation, the sushi roundabout can look pretty depressing these days.

But sushi is not made from fish alone, and vegetarian options don't have to stop with avocado and cucumber.

For a change, ask the sushi chef for a kanpyo maki. It's something hardly ever requested, but stocked by most respectable sushi dens.

Made from dried strips of gourd which are reconstituted and flavoured by simmering in a mix of water, soy, mirin and/or sake and sugar, kanpyo tastes far better than it sounds.

It's quite addictive in fact, with a deep umami-like maltedness. It's one of my all-time favourite fillings, even if good fish is the competition. Kanpyo should be a rich brown.

El cheapo black-brown kanpyo, which bleeds its treacly way into the rice, hasn't been reconstituted using the traditional ingredients, and will taste terrible. Return such items to the sushi chef immediately.

SWEET TALKING

THINK Austria. You think Mozart and the Von Trapp family hand in merry hand atop the Alps, and cakes, right?

Apfel Torte, Linzer Torte, Sacher Torte. But Gelber Ruben Torte? Aka Carrot Cake? I'd always thought of this cake as a purely American affair, but our weathered Viennese Cook Book from 1952 says otherwise. Its recipe is so different to the carrot cakes we've been swamped by for the last 30-odd years that it begs to be made.

The flour is entirely replaced by ground almonds, egg whites are whisked separately, and the carrots are cooked before being added. The quite ethereal result is, as you can imagine, a million miles from the average tuisnywerheid bake (not that these are without their own charm).

You need: 500g ground almonds / 500g carrots, peeled, boiled or steamed until soft / 8 eggs, separated / 2 cups sugar / juice and rind of ½ lemon / 1 tbs rum (optional) / 2 tbs cornstarch.

How: Preheat oven to 180c. Process or mash cooked carrots (still warm) until smoothish. Beat yolks and sugar together until light. Now beat in almonds, cooled carrots, lemon and rum, and then cornstarch.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold gently into mix. Pour into greased or paper-lined spring-form cake tin and bake for around 45 minutes, or until just cooked through. Once totally cool, remove and top with sweetened whipped cream (Von Trapp style) or cream-cheese icing (Yankee style).