Stribling discovered food while traveling
Trent Stribling credits his love for cooking unique and exciting dishes to the food he tried when traveling around the country with his father.
“When I was younger, my dad would have meetings and we would travel around the country to go to them,” Stribling said. “We went to places like Boston, Maine, and Washington, where I discovered things like lobster and lasagna soup.”
Stribling was born and raised in Philadelphia and practices as an optometrist, just like his father, Dr. Kent Stribling, and his grandfather, Dr. Richard G. “Dick” Stribling. Trent Stribling enjoys cooking and spending time with his wife Madalyn outside of his practice at Philadelphia Eye Care.
Stribling said he discovered delicious foods such as gumbo, clam chowder, elk sirloins, buffalo steaks, lobster, and fresh sushi when traveling around the country.
“That was around 15 years ago, and it inspired me to come back to Philadelphia and recreate these foods since we don’t have that kind of thing here,” he said. “Traveling opened me up to all kinds of things and when you discover how good they are, you want it more often. I still travel every year.”
Stribling said a dish he enjoys making frequently is lasagna soup, something he picked up while visiting downtown Seattle.
“I picked that recipe up and I’ve carried it ever since,” Stribling said. “I also got a salmon bowl recipe there as well. It has chopped salmon with rice, cucumbers, feta cheese with cut-up Brussels sprouts, spicy mayo, and more.”
He said he enjoys every bit of cooking and sees it as a hobby, not a chore.
“It’s fun and a hobby whether or not I’m making a 25-minute lunch or if I’m smoking a Boston butt or a brisket for 8 hours,” he said. “The taste is the most I get out of it, but there are a lot of times I’ll cook and I won’t even eat it. Sometimes I cook to see the reaction from other people to enjoy. It brings people together and there’s more to it than putting food on a fire. Whether that be a Tuesday night or a Saturday night with football, cooking is involved. It’s a blessing, and something I truly enjoy.”
SOUS VIDE FILET MIGNON
4 one-inch thick filet mignons
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
Set the sous vide to your desired temperature (132 degrees for medium rare). Vacuum seal the filet mignons using your preferred method, with two steaks per bag.
Cook steaks for one to four hours. Remove steaks and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add oil and butter. Sear steaks for one minute on each side, tilting the skillet and spooning butter over them as they cook. Serve immediately.
CREAMY WHITE LASAGNA SOUP
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 tablespoon fresh basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and black pepper
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
4-6 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup canned coconut milk, heavy cream, or whole milk
1 cup shredded provolone cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 ounces prosciutto, torn
Set a crockpot to high. Melt the butter and flour together and cook for five minutes. Add the onion, mushrooms, thyme, basil, oregano, and garlic, and stir to combine. Stir in the chicken broth and add chicken breasts. Season with chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Shred the chicken.
Stir in the noodles, spinach, and cream. Let cook on high until the noodles are soft. Alternatively, you can cook the noodles in boiling water, and then add them to the soup.
Stir in your cheeses until both are melted. If the soup is too thick, add broth or water.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the prosciutto in a single layer. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the prosciutto is crisp. Serve the soup topped with prosciutto.