recipe collection

I enjoy writing recipes from the cook’s point of view & get nitty-gritty with the detail. I’m known for being an all-or-nothing type of gal & like to leave no stone unturned, so there are loads of footnotes to these recipes in the hope of helping you as much as possible without actually being there with you in the kitchen! Do have a go at these recipes & let me know how you got on! Happy cooking!

Rye Sourdough starter recipe - Basics of Happy - www.basicsofhappy.com
Traditional rye flour starter – This is a recipe for a 100% hydration starter using rye flour. It is very simple (just mix and wait for 7 days) yet creates a robust and resilient starter.

The ultimate creme caramel recipe - Basics of Happy - www.basicsofhappy.com
The ultimate crème caramel – In this special recipe, I did not use any egg-whites, as per normal Crème Caramel recipes. It relies on just egg-yolks to set the liquids. This is what makes this that extra rich & thick in flavour, yet delicate, as well as the softest you’ll ever ever taste. Despite no egg-whites, it keeps its shape very well, so long as you refrigerate it for a good 4 hours.

 Sannenbancha from Chaya Japan - Kukicha- Macrobiotic - Basics of Happy - www.basicsofhappy.com

Macrobiotic homemade Umeshō and tea – Umesho is a paste made from plum pickle (= UME-boshi), soya sauce (= SHO-yu), and ginger. It is super-salty and has a strong taste, so, in macrobiotic terms, it is an extremely contracting yang food, compared to expanding and yin foods such as sugar and alcohol. – By far the most popular way of consuming umesho is by taking a spoonful of this and mixing it in to a warm Japanese tea called ‘ Sannenbancha’.​

– Japanese brown rice -This is my go-to recipe for brown rice. It’s probably going to look like no-frills (it’s just rice after all!) but it is perhaps THE apt one to be featured as my first recipe. Because being Japanese, rice is my staple food. It forms the foundation of my meals. It’s so often that I eat it that it makes sense for me to try & make my rice meals healthful by opting for wholegrain brown.