Cathy Erway

Cathy Erway · NYT Cooking

Joel Watthanawongwat, the chef of Soothr, a Thai restaurant in New York City, makes large batches of braised beef shanks each day to use in several dishes, including this tamarind and coconut-rich massaman curry. The process, which can be split over two days, involves slowly braising then chilling the shanks for the most tender, flavorful results. Boneless beef shanks are rich in tendons and collagen, making this cut especially soft and tender when slowly and gently cooked. This recipe yields a large quantity, perfect for a gathering or for multiple meals. Cathy Erway

Cathy Erway · NYT Cooking

Cashew chicken dishes have long been a classic of American Chinese cuisine. But Andrew Chiou and Tim Ma, the co-owners of Lucky Danger in Washington, D.C., have noticed it fading from menus in the area. According to Mr. Chiou, the dish is all about textural contrast: the crisp, battered chicken that’s been tossed in a thin, sweet-and-savory sauce; crisp-tender vegetables like celery, as well as softer straw mushrooms; and, of course, the satisfying crunch of cashews. Their version is similar to the famous, deep-fried cashew chicken dish popularized by the chef David Leong in Springfield, Mo., in the 1960s. Enjoy it alongside other dishes as part of a multicourse meal, or just with steamed rice. Cathy Erway

Cathy Erway · NYT Cooking

The irresistible combo of crispy, fried egg noodle encasing molten cream cheese has made this snack a finger food mainstay. Though it has roots in mid-century Polynesian-style bars and restaurants, the imitation crab stick-filled fried wonton has been adopted by many American Chinese menus. The chef-consultant Eric Ehler designed the menu at Lazy Susan, a Chinese takeout spot in San Francisco; for his version of the classic dish, he uses Dungeness crab meat and adds scallions and lemon zest for color. As a child, Mr. Ehler loved to dip the fried wontons in egg drop soup, or use them as a scoop for rice. Cathy Erway

Cathy Erway · NYT Cooking

Bitter melon lives up to its name. The oblong gourd is renowned for its robust health benefits and even more profound bitterness. However, when enveloped in creamy scrambled eggs and seasoned with soy sauce and brown sugar, it creates a complexity of flavor that will grow on you. This quick stir-fry is a home-cooking favorite of Chutatip Suntaranon, who is known as Nok, the chef-owner of the Thai restaurant Kalaya in Philadelphia. The recipe can easily be halved to serve one or two. Cathy Erway

Cathy Erway · NYT Cooking

At Mamahuhu, a Chinese takeout restaurant in San Francisco, a sense of history and appreciation for American Chinese cuisine is applied to a few classics. Mining historical Cantonese sweet-and-sour dish recipes for inspiration, Brandon Jew, a founder of the restaurant, and Noah Kopito, the head chef, created a sauce that incorporates pineapple, honey and dried hawthorn berries, which impart an earthy depth of flavor. The chefs use house-fermented Fresno chiles for a hint of heat, but a dab of commercially available sambal oelek will do. This dish can be made with chicken or cauliflower instead of pork; just skip the marinade if using cauliflower. Cathy Erway