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.

OKRA UNWRAPPED

I UNDERSTAND the okra haters. My first foray into eating the plant involved a gumbo made very authentically; that is, with the okra allowed to stew long enough to release the glutinous substance which gumbo aficionados so adore.

The love of this slime factor - along with okra itself - is handed down from the African slave ancestors of New Orleans okra eaters (the word gumbo comes from the African word for okra; ki ngombo in Angola, for example).

I attempted a memorable stew in a Nigerian cafe in Yeoville not too long ago which nearly finished me: truly gluey okra-thickened stew, flavoured with fermented dried fish and dotted with lots of ripe tripe.

Despite this trauma, I am an okra lover. I have discovered that it doesn't have to be slimy. In Japanese and Indian cooking, the vegetable is often flash cooked so that the slime stays dormant, leaving only the delicious mild flavour and the delicate texture of the seeds.

The okra is also often soaked in acidulated water to eliminate the gloop.

The dish that converted me, many years back, was a modest little bhindi (okra) fry at Al Makka in Fordsburg.

The dish remains just as good to this day (I ate it on Sunday).

The okra is sliced into small pieces, fried fast and with onions, fiery chile and spice.

I have seen okra haters lap this up with gusto. It is brilliant eaten with one of Al Makka's famous naan breads. Al Makka, 50 Central Road, Fordsburg, 011-838-2545.

SWEET TALKING

IF BANANA white chocolate custard seems like the sort of nursery fare only a child would go for, all I can say is make it and see who eats it.

Every bit as thickly, dreamily sweet as the name suggests, this is perfect in all weather conditions: hot from the pot in colder months, chilled in summer. It's also great sans bananas.

For four people: 110g good white chocolate, broken up / 3 egg yolks / 25g caster sugar / 20g flour / 450ml milk / 150ml cream / ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.

How: Melt the chocolate and 100ml of the milk over the lowest heat in a pot.

Beat yolks and sugar until pale, then whisk in the flour. Bring remaining milk and cream to the boil (watching like a hawk), then whisk half into the egg mixture and half into the chocolate mixture.

Pour both mixes back into the pot, add the extract and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Simmer for a minute once thick then whip off the heat. Slice bananas into serving bowl and pour the custard over. Eat right away (this is best) or leave to cool.