Comfort Food w/ @crazythickasians Congee represents a shared nostalgia for us—a dish we both grew up eating. Made up of only 2 ingredients, it acts as a blank canvas for an endless variety of toppings. Some global similarities include rice water (Ghana), juk (Korea), chao (Vietnam), lugaw (Philippines), and many more. The beauty of congee is in its adaptability. Simply adjust the rice to water ratio based on the desired consistency. There’s no wrong way to enjoy congee! Below is our base recipe for congee. Let us know how you’ll top your congee! Ingredients: 1 cup rice (short grain and jasmine rice are popular but any rice will do) 8 cups water Method: Thoroughly rinse rice until water runs clear. Drain water. Add rice into large pot and fill with water. Close the lid and bring to a boil. Then adjust to medium heat. Keep lid halfway open to prevent spill over. Lower heat if necessary. Stir occasionally. Continue to cook for 30-40 minutes until rice has broken down. Adjust consistency based on preference. Add more water if you prefer a soup-like texture, or continue to cook further if you prefer a risotto-like texture. When ready to serve, season with salt and add on your favorite toppings and garnish. Enjoy hot! #congee #jook #comfortfood #aapimonth #rice #easyrecipes #simplerecipes

$5 vs. $11 Tinned Mackerel 🎣 Tinned Fish Talk 🐟 Ocean’s Sweet Smoked Mackerel $4.60 🐟 Fishwife Slow Smoked Mackerel $10.67 Which one is better value? Both tins come from Scotland, and in my research there’s only one cannery there. So one possibility is the tins are likely from International Fish Canners Ltd, a manufacturer of private label canned fish products. While not identical, these two tins are incredibly similar in taste and texture despite a big difference in price. Fishwife’s marketing is a plus for bringing new customers into the category, but it’s what’s in the tin that counts. Ocean’s recipe tastes nearly identical, and at half the price I’m personally sticking with this option. The lack of transparency around co-packing and white labeling makes it hard for customers to vet whether they’re getting a higher quality product or just a packaging variant. To clarify, private labeling and co-manufacturing are incredibly common in the consumer packaged goods industry. Many of my favorite tinned fish brands also work with canners to co-manufacture unique products to their specifications. In some cases, a private labeled product is even cheaper than the name brand (like Trader Joes vs. Porthos). For transparency: Fishwife gifted this tin to me and I have no material relationship with Ocean’s.

Foraged Mussels in Soybean Butter Sauce Harvest responsibility and check regulations in your area before you go foraging for mussels ❗ Or skip the fuss and make the recipe with mussels from the store. Mussel aquaculture is considered sustainable worldwide and can even improve water quality and sequester carbon 💧 So either way, eat more mussels! Recipe is on the blog https://daywithmei.com/mussels-in-soybean-butter-sauce/ #mussels #easyrecipesathome

Tinned Fish Talk 🎣 Lata April Discovery Box Use code DAYWITHMEI for 10% off 🐟 Lata’s monthly discovery box is $49.99 for 4 curated tins each month 📦 The code also works on individual tins if you want to mix and match. 🐟 Herpac Mackerel Fillets in Olive Oil 🦑 Artesanos Alalunga Cuttlefish in Ink 🥸 Jose Gourmet Stickleback in Pickled Sauce 🍅 Nuri Spiced Sardines in Tomato Sauce All opinions are my own. I may be eligible for commission if you use the code. It doesn’t cost any extra to you (you get a discount!) #tinnedfish #tinnedfishtok #mackerel #sardines #cuttlefish

Preserving Sichuan Pork Belly (四川臘肉) Part 3 🥓 It’s time to finally cook this Sichuan-style Bacon AKA làròu. I brined it in the fridge for 5 days, cured it in my garage for 2 weeks, and lastly, boiled it for 30 minutes. In my experience, Sichuan-style bacon is ideally suited for boiling, as opposed to Cantonese-style bacon (lapyuk), which is typically made with soy sauce and often steamed. Boiling helps moderate the saltiness and adds moisture back into the meat. By parboiling before steaming or stir-frying, I can easily slice through the meat, which would otherwise be quite challenging. #chinesecooking #chinesebacon #sichuanfood #bacon