Food for Fort: On ground almonds and sheep's milk ricotta

I am not allergic to all nuts, but cannot tolerate almonds, pistachios and macadamias. Many recipes use comparatively small amounts of ground almonds – for example, Dan Lepard's ginger chocolate chip pound cake on 23 April . What could I substitute for the ground almonds that would have a similar effect? My first instinct was to say use the same weight of any ground nuts (hazelnuts, say) that you can eat instead, but then decided to consult the oracle himself before doing so. Here is Dan's sage advice: "Ground almonds give cakes a denser crumb that slices better, and appears moister because of the oil. Ground rolled oats are a good replacement, together with a teaspoon of sunflower oil, or, as you say, use ground hazelnuts." I'm quietly pleased with that little pat on the back at the end. I'm keen to find a supplier of sheep's milk ricotta in London, but have so far drawn a blank. Its inclusion on restaurant menus gives me hope. There's any amount of cow's milk ricotta about, but the sheep's milk version seems rarer than hen's teeth. I have been in touch with cheesemongers Paxton & Whitfield , La Fromagerie , Neal's Yard Dairy , Selfridges and any number of delis, and would you believe it, no sheep's milk ricotta. I suspect restaurants get theirs from wholesale importers, but do not despair. High Weald Dairy in West Sussex sells its own sheep's milk ricotta online at £13.05 a kilo, which isn't cheap. • Got a question for Matthew? Email [email protected] twitter.com/matthewfort Visit Matthew's blog, Fort on Food