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Day With Mei

Chinese-American pantry recipes

Savory

  • Savory
  • Sweet
  • Tinned Fish
  • Homemade Cultured Butter

    Recipes, Savory · February 23, 2026

    Homemade Cultured Butter

    Sichuan Spiced Salmon Gravlax

    Recipes, Savory · February 20, 2026

    Sichuan Spiced Salmon Gravlax

    Hunan Stir-Fried Pork

    Recipes, Savory · January 22, 2026

    Hunan Stir-Fried Pork

    Simple Smoked Salmon Dip

    Recipes, Savory, Tinned Fish · December 5, 2025

    Simple Smoked Salmon Dip

    Fava Bean and Tofu Skin Salad with Mala Vinaigrette

    Recipes, Savory · November 20, 2025

    Fava Bean and Tofu Skin Salad with Mala Vinaigrette

    Chicken Thighs in Goji Agrodolce

    Recipes, Savory · July 7, 2025

    Chicken Thighs in Goji Agrodolce

    Monkfish Liver in Yuzu Kosho Ponzu

    Recipes, Savory, Tinned Fish · July 7, 2025

    Monkfish Liver in Yuzu Kosho Ponzu

    Silkie Chicken Soup

    Recipes, Savory · June 12, 2025

    Silkie Chicken Soup

    Tinned Squid with Parsley Vinaigrette

    Recipes, Savory, Tinned Fish · May 27, 2025

    Tinned Squid with Parsley Vinaigrette

    Mushroom “Rice” with Yacai Stir-Fry 菌米芽菜

    Recipes, Savory · April 28, 2025

    Mushroom “Rice” with Yacai Stir-Fry 菌米芽菜

    How to Season A Wok (+ Tips to Maintain)

    Savory · January 30, 2025

    How to Season A Wok (+ Tips to Maintain)

    Chengdu-Style Spring Rolls & Homemade Spring Roll Wrappers

    Savory · January 27, 2025

    Chengdu-Style Spring Rolls & Homemade Spring Roll Wrappers

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    Tinned Fish Talk 🎣 King Salmon Cheeks from @wildfi Tinned Fish Talk 🎣 King Salmon Cheeks from @wildfishcannery 

King salmon cheeks are a cut you can’t get anywhere else in a can, it’s rare to even find at a fishmonger, much less a restaurant. Fish cheeks are rare because they are so small and labor-intensive to harvest. There’s only two per fish so you can imagine how much it takes to fill a single can.

The good news: this is one of the most uniquely pleasurable experiences I’ve had from a tin of fish. The bad news: there is a very limited quantity that sells out almost immediately each year (sorry!) For transparency, they sent me this tin ($44) but know i’ve been a continued customer and all opinions are my own.

I chose to warm up the unopened tin in hot water so the natural fat and collagen are even more luxurious—like a fatty, unctuous scallop. King salmon has a relatively mild flavor and richer texture compared to sockeye or coho. Wildfish Cannery is a one-of-a-kind operation here in North America with a tight-knit supply chain that hand-packs fish caught locally in Southeast Alaska. I hold a special respect for their culinary approach, the cannery is a direct opposition to the category’s commodity reputation.
    2 weeks later, we have Sichuan larou! In the pre 2 weeks later, we have Sichuan larou! 

In the previous video, I cured pork belly in salt and spices for several days then set it outside to dry. I smoked it with apple wood pellets and cooked off a piece to taste.
    How do you keep traditional foods alive? Sichuan How do you keep traditional foods alive?

Sichuan bacon season is back! Larou (Sichuan bacon) is a cured pork belly process similar to pancetta. It’s first seasoned with spices and salt in an equilibrium cure, hung outside to dehydrate, then (optionally) smoked. The earliest records of this wind-cured meat date back to the Zhou Dynasty roughly 3000 years ago. 

In Sichuan you can buy larou everywhere. In the US no one really makes it at scale. I grew up in the US making it with my family every winter season out of that necessity. Funny enough I’m the only one from my generation still carrying it on, and I’m the one farthest from home.
    saved the best for last the suburbanite mall rat saved the best for last

the suburbanite mall rat in me is clawing to get out help me
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