Stephanie Ehring, FOND of Life

09/08/2021

Traditionalish Pasta Carbonara 🍝

When he asks for butter noodles with Parm (because it's been a helluva work day) you make him traditional carbonara to give him rich noodles and cheesey flavor with the addition of bacon and filling rich eggs to keep him satiated for the evening 🤤😋
🍝🥚🧀

Bacon cooked in cast iron skillet, bacon removed and put in large bowl you will serve in, bacon fat disposed of, add in 1/2 stick of butter to warm skillet just to melt.

Get pasta water boiling.... when reached a full boil, add kosher salt, enough to make the water taste slightly salty, almost like the sea... wait until full rolling boil is back... Boil pasta, drain and toss in large bowl with bacon. Make sure to reserve at least a cup of pasta water, set aside

In large separate bowl add 3 eggs and 3 egg yolks at room temp, add 1/2c ground Pecarino and Parm, whisk together... Add a little melted butter, whisk quickly so the eggs don't cook and just rise in temp a little... Add a little more, whisk quickly and completely... Add pasta water until desired consistency is met. I added probs 1/2 cup and had 3 eggs, 3 yolks... I added the half cup in 4 additions...

Toss pasta with tongs to let some of the heat and steam out, toss a few times to slightly cool...

Add in egg sauce a bit at a time and toss and toss and toss... I added mine in three goes...

Plate with fresh cracked pepper, extra Parm, and a few shreds of fresh flat Italian parsley... Devour!!!!!

When plating try to pile high, it's makes it look a bit more appealing 😉

I drizzled with extra melted butter for him but that isn't necessary 😉

Simple and super satisfying (gluten free pasta to boot, high protein too)

* If you make this dish and you aren't familiar with tempering raw eggs, google it and follow their tips as well lol so you don't ruin you pasta and have it taste like scrambled eggs! Using room temp eggs is key here. You can put the eggs in warm water to speed up bringing them to room temp 😊

02/06/2021

Please report, fake account, this is not me

01/22/2021

Making a cross between beef bourguignon and pot roast... Braising liquid with red whine, beef stock, red wine vinegar, tomato paste and herbs.

Shallots, garlic, pearl onions, carrots, potatoes and celery...

Seared and dredged beef, placed in this gorgeous liquid, surrounded by veggies, covered and left to cook at 325 for the next 4 hours ❤️

01/02/2021

Fruit Tray with Skyr siggi's dip to bring to small gatherings... Fruit tray and veggie tray... It means I have gluten free, dairy free (potentially) meat free, low sugar food to snack on all night 😋😉👌

Tips for Fruit Trays and Dips
1. Wash wash and rewash! So many pesticides hands and waxes etc put on produce. Soak berries in baking soda and water for 10 mins, rinse pat dry.
2. Oranges are amazing with out the white pith on the outside. Using a sharp knife cut outer skin and pith to fruit in even cuts around the orange (I think I did 6) using pairing knife make sure to remove all pith and traces of white on outer edge of orange. Slice in thin discs.
3. Fruit is so sweet naturally, this dip is a heavy creamy dip. Skyr yogurt is almost as thick as cream cheese, heavy on protein low on sugar... A few drips of pure maple syrup and a few drops of and almond extract topped with a little cinnamon and nutmeg help cut sweetness but create an explosion of flavors

01/02/2021

Veggies for Days!

tray for a small gathering...

I tend to always bring fruit and veggie trays to parties, so that I have gluten free dairy free low sugar foods to snack on 😋

Tips for making a good veggie tray
1. Wash and rewash those veggies before cutting. Peppers apples cucumbers and more have wax on them a little baking soda and gentle elbow grease removes that and anything stuck to it 😉
2. Cut at least a few hours ahead soak in icewater (for most veggies) and or refrigerate in water overnight. This helps crisp and freshen back up
3. Smaller, thinner cuts are better
4. For pepper male sure not a single seed is on the finished product and remove all traces of the white pith inside to keep sweet and crunchy
5. Save a few pieces of each veggie to cut in a different shape than the shape it cut in for garnish (carrot sticks and carrots discs)
6. Make your own veggie dip to control ingredients

12/30/2020

Did you know radish greens can be used to make pesto? Make a nice lemony pesto to dip your veggies in... Save some of the greens for your garnish under your veggies on your tray too.

When radishes come like this they are super sandy and full of dirt. I soak mine first for about 10 minutes. Then remove all but an inch of the greens. I put the greens in a colander and rinse and rinse some more. now that they are all separated you can get more of the dirt off too. Pat dry, put in ziplock bags with a towel and don't seal all the way. This will keep them fresh :)

You can cut the long tail/root off or keep it :) I rinse and clean again then cut in half and keep on water until ready to tray up.

I thin slice two radishes for garnish and keep separate and in water until ready to tray.

12/30/2020

Cutting Peppers 🌶️🔪
Peppers are cheap right now, and you can get five different colors right now too 😋🤤
Cut top off, pull out inside seed cluster
Cut off bottom, tap gently to get rest of seeds out.
Repeat with all peppers
Throw away seeds, wipe cutting board and knife (you don't want any seeds 😉 this keeps your dish looking professional)

Make a slit in peppers to cut it and be able to hold flat.

Using pairing knife carefully remove the pith. (The white part, it's bitter and has a different texture, this also keeps your dish professional)

Using knife and making a flat palm cut the top off the bottom so you are left with a three or four leaf clover. Set aside for garnish. Cut slices around the top and raining bottom, use half for garnish and dice the rest to be used in a cream cheese pepper dip for the crudites tray :)

Cover with water and refrigerate until ready to assemble tray. I like to keep color separated so I can build my tray by colors.

12/30/2020

Cutting veggies for a crudites board for tomorrow... Place most veggies in water and store in the fridge to keep crisp and fresh 😋 🥕🥦🥒🥗🚰

12/29/2020

It might be cold outside but this quick 20 min dish will give you a warm belly and heart

Sausage and Peppers Red Sauce with Raviolis and Parmesan Reggiano

Crushed tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil, Parmesan Reggiano rind, salt and pepper. Simmer 10 mins

Fresh peppers and a bag of frozen pepper blend sauteed

Sausage mild italian browned

Cheese raviolis boiled

Basil Chiffanade, Parmesan Reggiano Crumbles, fennel seeds and black pepper to top the dish

Set up a buffet and let everyone build their dish ❤️🍝

12/04/2020

11/26/2020

Many have already started prep and cooking for the day... But stop for a second if you haven't already and jot down your timeline... Use your phone set alarms for dishes and times for start and ends... Use timers.... Timers don't burn things... People do 😉

11/24/2020

White Whine Brine for Turkey

1 qt vegetable chicken or turkey stock

1½ cups kosher salt

8 bay leaves

2 Tbsp whole black peppercorns

2 Tbsp coriander seeds

1 Tbsp mustard seeds

1 bottle dry white wine

1 large onion, thinly sliced

8 cloves garlic, crushed but left in the skins

1 bunch (a good handful) fresh thyme

1 sprig of rosemary

1 orange, sliced

Cold water (enough to cover turkey)

1 (16-lb) turkey, giblet package and neck removed

Bring to a boil salt, stock, bay leaves, peppercorn and mustard seeds.

Let cool. In large container add aromatics, herbs spices and wine.

Pour in cooled salt brine to container. Add turkeys, and enough cold water to cover. Let sit for approx 12-18 hours. Remove from brine, pat dry and place uncovered in fridge for at least 8 hours for it to dry before cooking.

I did two turkey breasts in my white wine brine. I will probably only let them soak for 12 hours max and then let air dry until ready to cook.