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Taste Test: Domino's Bread Bowl Pastas

YumSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:00:53 -0700

The world of fast food is certainly quick paced, so the second Domino's begun advertising five flavors of pasta housed in a bread bowl, it seemed everybody was buzzing about it. When Party and I first got word of these monsters, we were simultaneously shocked (who came up with the concept?), appalled, and eager to try them. Yesterday turned out to be the Domino's day of reckoning - to find out how the bowls stood up to their shock value, read more.

It's hard to fathom why Domino's rolled out this concept of carbs inside more carbs, but the fact that competitor Pizza Hut has already racked up more than $500 million in sales of its Tuscani Pastas and lasagna, puts things more into perspective. However, as soon as we opened the delivery, we were faced with many unanswered questions: How many people was each bread bowl supposed to feed? Was the dish designed to be eaten like a pizza, or were we supposed to eat the pasta first, then the bowl?

Pasta Primavera: This bread bowl was filled with pasta, baby spinach, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and a goopy, oily Alfredo sauce. While the sole vegetarian option was filled with vegetables, I questioned whether the dish contained any protein.

Chicken Carbonara: Although this tasted somewhat like carbonara, it was covered with similar globs of white sauce.

Three Cheese Mac-N-Cheese: This was our least favorite. We love macaroni and cheese, but the flavors of the dish - bland, artificial nacho cheese, subpar penne, and a yeasty bread bowl - just did not seem to meld at all.

Italian Sausage Marinara: If we had to choose a best of the tasting, it would have been the Italian Sausage Marinara, which was rather reminiscent of regular pizza delivery with breadsticks. But then again, why not just order pizza and breadsticks?

Chicken Alfredo: All of the bowls were loaded with sodium (I drank water for hours afterward), but the Chicken Alfredo was swimming in a sauce that was over-the-top salty, to the point of being unpleasant to eat.

Unsurprisingly, the Pasta Primavera, Chicken Carbonara, and Chicken Alfredo flavors - which possess the same mysterious creamy white sauce - all taste remarkably similar. The bread bowl itself, which tastes a lot like Domino's breadsticks, was satisfying, but overall, unless we were starving and had no other options, or were carbo loading for a marathon the next day, we wouldn't eat this again.

Have you tried any of the Bread Bowl Pastas? If so, what was your assessment of them?

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Chicken and Lemon-Broccoli Alfredo

partysugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:45:14 -0700

When a recipe calls for a canned sauce make the sauce your own by adding fresh herbs, savory spices, or grated cheese.

In this dish a refrigerated container of light Alfredo sauce is jazzed up with lemon zest and several grinds of black pepper. Served over seared chicken breasts and sautéed vegetables, it makes for a delicious and crowd pleasing meal. Sound scrumptious? Wait until you check out the recipe: read more.

Chicken and Lemon-Broccoli Alfredo
From Better Homes and Garden magazine

Ingredients

4 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt and pepper
8 oz. mushrooms, halved
1 Tbsp. olive or cooking oil
1 lemon
3 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 10-oz. container refrigerated light Alfredo pasta sauce

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In large skillet brown chicken and mushrooms 4 minutes in hot oil, turning chicken halfway through.
Meanwhile, shred 2 teaspoons lemon peel; set aside.
Slice lemon.
Add broccoli and lemon slices to skillet.
Cover; cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done (170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer).
Place chicken and vegetables on plates. Add Alfredo sauce to skillet; heat through.
Serve with chicken. Add lemon peel and pepper.

Serves 4.

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Not Your Regular Nachos: Italian Nachos

partysugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:40:19 -0700

Let me just say that taking a gorgeous, appetizing picture of nachos is hard. The image certainly does not do these amazingly delicious Italian nachos justice. They were so good that I ate an insane amount all by myself. What exactly are Italian nachos? A creation I invented based on a little web research. I took elements from several recipes to make my own version.

First I fried pieces of tomato basil tortillas. Next I made an Alfredo sauce and heated up finely chopped Italian sausage. The chips were seasoned with salt and dried oregano before being topped with the sauce, sausage, and a heavy sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. The whole thing was topped with a tomato, sun-dried tomato, black olive, and pepperoncini salsa. The final result was to die for.

For more details on how I made them, read more.

Italian Nachos
Modified from Joe Buona's Pizzeria and Wikipedia

Ingredients

For Alfredo sauce:
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tbs. unsalted butter
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh-ground black pepper
pinch of fresh-ground nutmeg
For nachos
oil, for frying
2 tomato basil tortillas sliced into triangular pieces
dried, crushed oregano
salt
1 Italian sausage, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese (don't use fresh mozzarella, it will make the chips soggy)
2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato
2 tablespoons finely chopped black olives
1 tablespoon finely chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon finely chopped peppercini
red pepper flakes, optional for serving

Directions

Make the chips: heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. When smoking add the tortilla wedges and fry for 30 seconds on each side until crisp and golden brown. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with dried oregano and salt. Repeat, working in small batches, until all the tortillas are fried.

Make the Alfredo sauce: combine cream and butter in a saute pan. Heat over a low flame, stirring frequently, until the butter is melted and the cream comes to a bare simmer. Remove the pan from the heat once the butter is evenly incorporated into the cream.
Add the cheese, the salt, the nutmeg, and several grinds of the pepper mill. Cover set aside.
Meanwhile heat 1 teaspoon oil in a saute pan over medium low heat. Add the sausage and cook until crisp, browned, and heated through.
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Make the salsa: combine the tomato, sun dried tomatoes, black olives, and peppercini in a small bowl.

Place the chips on a cookie sheet covered with foil.
Drizzle with Alfredo sauce and top with cooked sausage. Cover with mozzarella and drizzle with more sauce.

Bake in the oven for 4 minutes until the cheese is melted. Turn the broiler on and broil until the chips are crisp and the cheese is bubbling.
Remove from oven and top with salsa. Serve immediately with red pepper flakes for sprinkling if desired.

Serves 1.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Low-Fat Fettuccine Alfredo

partysugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:11:39 -0700

I love everything about creamy, decadent pasta sauces. However, I know they're incredibly unhealthy. That's why I enjoy making lighter versions like this low-fat fettuccine Alfredo. The recipe calls for skim milk and tons of crunchy, green broccoli. A small amount of good quality parmesan cheese adds depth and flavor. To recreate this classic pasta dish in a more healthful manner, read more.

Low-Fat Fettuccine Alfredo
From Real Simple magazine

Ingredients

12 ounces fettuccine
1 head of broccoli
1 1/2 cups cups skim milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Cook fettuccine according to the package directions; drain.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook broccoli (cut into florets, stalks peeled and sliced), 3 minutes; drain.
Heat skim milk and butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Slowly whisk in flour.
Simmer until slightly thickened, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and salt.
Add the pasta and broccoli and stir over low heat until heated through. Top each serving with Parmesan shavings.

Serves 4.

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 445(0% from fat); FAT 9g (sat 5g); PROTEIN 22mg; CHOLESTEROL 23mg; CALCIUM 312mg; SODIUM 568mg; FIBER 4g; CARBOHYDRATE 72g; IRON 3mg

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Fast & Easy DInner: Chicken Alfredo Pesto Pasta

partysugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 04:43:33 -0700

Although I love both Alfredo and pesto sauce, I had never thought of combining the two! If you are stuck in a boring chicken and pasta rut, try this recipe for a pasta flavor fusion. Start with a quick and simple Alfredo sauce and mix in several tablespoons of pesto to create a dish that is full of depth. If you dislike red peppers, feel free to substitute fresh or sun dried tomatoes or steamed broccoli. To experiment with this recipe tonight, read more

Chicken Alfredo Pesto Pasta
From Kraft Foods
Image Source

8 oz. (1/2 of 16-oz. pkg.) angel hair pasta, uncooked
2 tsp. oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups milk
1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz) cream cheese
1 large red pepper, cut into strips or 1 1/2 cups roasted red pepper strips
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. pesto
1 tbsp lemon zest, optional
1/2 cup pitted dry cured olives, optional

Cook pasta as directed on package.
Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 7 min. or until cooked through.
Stir in milk and cream cheese spread; cook 3 min. or until cream cheese spread is completely melted and mixture is well blended.
Add peppers, Parmesan cheese and pesto; stir. If using the lemon zest and olives add to mixture as well. Cook 3 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Drain pasta. Add to cream cheese mixture; toss to coat.

Serves 4.

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Taste Test: Pizza Hut's Tuscani Pastas

YumSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:15:08 -0800

Earlier this year, Pizza Hut played a trick on the country by claiming it had changed its name to Pasta Hut. Although the name change turned out to be an advertising prank, the pizza delivery chain did roll out a new line of Tuscani Pastas ($12.99). After trying out Domino's new line of subs, I decided that to be fair, I'd give Pizza Hut's pastas a try, too. To find out how the chain's new offerings tasted, read more.

Much like we felt Domino's subs tasted like pizza, PartySugar and I thought Pizza Hut's pastas actually looked like pizza. I did a double take on the Meaty Marinara, as it looked like a standard cheese pizza!

Meaty Marinara: This pasta arrived with slightly burnt edges, and was the least appetizing to look at. Thank goodness its name includes the word "meat," since the dish actually looks like it's vegetarian: The pasta, marinara, and meat are on underneath a thick layer of melted mozzarella. The sauce tasted more like pizza sauce than pasta sauce, but this option, with its tomato base, seemed the healthiest of the three.

Creamy Chicken Alfredo: Although the chicken strips were tender and meaty, this was my least favorite of the pastas. The congealed Alfredo sauce was representative of why I usually hesitate to order Alfredo.

Premium Bacon Mac 'N Cheese: This was the best of the pastas, with its smooth, creamy Velveeta-like texture and crisp and meaty bits of smoky bacon.

Beware that these pastas are certainly not light. After tasting a sample of each, I felt satisfied for hours. Later, I had a few more bites of each, and I felt thirsty, bloated, and a little sick. However, if you're already inclined to order delivery from Pizza Hut, there's no harm in ordering a pasta instead - my vote goes to the Premium Bacon Mac 'N Cheese (2 a.m. after a night on the town, anyone?). Have you been tried out Pizza Hut's pastas? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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Domino's Embraces Carbs, Offers Pasta in a Bread Bowl

YumSugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:30:01 -0700

It's only been one week since Domino's Pizza apologized for the unsanitary behavior of its employees, but the pizza delivery chain has already attempted to move on to bigger and better things.

In what would appear to be an Atkins diet nightmare, Domino's has begun offering five flavors of pasta - served inside an edible bowl of bread. For as little as $4.99, you can choose between Three Cheese Mac-N-Cheese, Italian Sausage Marinara, Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Carbonara, or Pasta Primavera flavors. If that's not quite enough, there's the option to build your own pasta bread bowl, choosing from a variety of toppings that include but aren't limited to Philly steak, salami, bacon, and tabasco sauce.

I must admit I'm shocked. Of all products to come out with, this pasta in a bread bowl creation would certainly not have come to mind first. Still, I can't wait to taste test these! What do you think of the concept? Do you think it'll help Domino's regain the faith of its customers?

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Hell's Kitchen - 3.10 Recap

partysugar — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:28:31 -0700

Last night at nine, I sat down to enjoy the final episode of Hell's Kitchen. Boy was I in for a shock when at ten I realized it was far from over - there is still one episode left! It was much tamer than it normally is with the finalists, Rock and Bonnie, only entering the kitchen for a quick 30 minutes. All of the previous episodes were reviewed, and the last six contestants were brought back to help the finalists in their toughest dinner challenge. To see what happens when Bonnie and Rock design their own restaurants and are whisked off to Vegas for a surprise challenge, read more

After enjoying a few brief moments with their families - Bonnie's parents and Rock's wife and children - the dining room of Hell's Kitchen is loudly cut in half by a hanging partition. Ramsay then tells the finalists they have 36 hours to build their dream restaurant. Bonnie and Rock have full creative liability and must design the dining room and prepare a menu that reflects their signature styles as chefs. They return to the dorms to celebrate and get a start on brainstorming menus and restaurant designs.

The following morning both meet with the architect to discuss their intentions. Bonnie wants a romantic, European, simple, classic-with-a-twist style restaurant. She dislikes the booths and prefers mismatched China. Rock, on the other hand, loves the booths and prefers classic silverware with a warm, American, Southern, black-and-white style dining room.

Next they meet individually with Jean Phillipe, the maitre d', to select the waitstaff's uniforms. Bonnie decides her servers will wear all black and the females should be sexy. Rock is much more hesitant. His first choice of jeans is vetoed by Jean Phillipe, who helps Rock decide on something more appropriate for a fine dining room. Then it's on to the menus: Bonnie is paired with sous chef Mary Anne and quickly describes her menu of mini grilled cheeses, homemade pastas, and all of her personal favorite foods. Rock is paired with sous chef Scott, but his menu is unclear. The only dish he is certain of is a surf n' turf fried chicken and crab cakes.

Ramsay shows up and informs them that they have some very important business to take care of in Las Vegas!! Bonnie and Rock take five minutes to change before they board Ramsay's private jet. On the plane, Ramsay compliments them both and asks questions about their motivations for certain actions. They arrive at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Vegas, head to an amazing luxurious room, and are shown a teaser for the season finale. Both are a little shocked to see themselves on television for the first time.

Afterwards, Ramsay invites them for a relaxing drink in the VIP lounge of the bar. Little do they know that behind the doors is a stadium full of screaming fans and several of Vegas' top chefs. Guess what? It's surprise challenge time! Rock and Bonnie have 30 minutes to make a dish that represents their signature style. Bonnie makes a shrimp and Fettuccine Alfredo and Rock does the aforementioned fried chicken and crab cakes (was anyone else disappointed by their lack of culinary splendor? Fettuccine Alfredo? Fried Chicken? I can master those dishes!).

Chefs from Caesars Palace, the MGM Grand, and Michael Mina judge the dishes. Then Robin Leach makes a cameo as a celebrity judge and gives his vote to Bonnie. Leaving the previous two winners of Hell's Kitchen to tie the score up - three for Bonnie and three for Rock. The tying vote goes to the manager and current executive chef of the restaurant at the Green Valley Ranch (surprise, surprise, was this a little fixed???). They declare Bonnie the winner and Ramsay whisks both off to the Ghost Bar at the top of the Palms where he gives them one last pep talk.

When they arrive back in LA, Rock and Bonnie receive another surprise when their old crew (Julia, Jen, Brad, Josh, Melissa, and Vinnie) enters the dorm with large gift baskets. Ramsay calls them all down to the kitchen where Bonnie and Rock are instructed to select team members to work in the upcoming night's dinner service. Since Bonnie won the challenge in Vegas, she has first pick and chooses Jen. They alternate turns each selecting another team member. Rock picks Brad and Vinnie and is stuck with Josh. Bonnie selects Melissa and Julia. The episode ends abruptly with clips of the hellish boys vs. girls dinner service that is to come in next week's final showdown.

Ramsay is at his best when he is in the kitchen, so today I have only the top 4 Ramsayisms and a bonus quote from celebrity judge, Mr. Robin Leach (of Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous):

Rock this wouldn't be such an event without your children... it's baby Rock!
You didn't think we would be flying commercial did you?
Stop trying to charm him, he's a chef he doesn't do charm!
Stop trying to manipulate the judges Rock!
And from Robin Leach: I've eaten at over 1700 restaurants around the world and I'm intrigued by the combination in both. But you told me if I didn't have a choice, you would put a cleaver in my back! So I give it to the lady.

Finally didn't you think Bonnie's hair looked a little too perfect after slaving in the kitchen for a half an hour? She must have spent time with a stylist. What do you think Rock and Bonnie make for themselves to eat in the dorm? Didn't you just want to shake Julia and give her a hug? You got the best prize girl, a culinary education and consoling from Ramsay, so be happy!

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Pizza Hut Is Now Pasta Hut . . . or Is It?

YumSugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:29:51 -0700

OK, I'm assuming this is a Pizza Hut's way of playing a practical April Fool's joke on all of its customers, but you never can tell these days. It could just be and oddly-timed marketing scheme.

This morning, the Pizza Hut chain unveiled new signage declaring they're now serving pasta so good that they've decided to change their name. The dishes that inspired the name change are the Creamy Chicken Alfredo and Meaty Marinara. The 3-lb. servings - that are baked in a blend of sauce and cheese - will be available for $11.99. Scott Bergen, Pizza Hut's CEO, said:

For 50 years we've been all about pizza. As we've prepared for the launch of our new line of Tuscani Pastas our customers have consistently told us these pastas are so good we should change our name to Pasta Hut. Starting tomorrow, Pizza Hut is Pasta Hut.

I can't imagine they would actually change their name, although I could see them doing it for a short promotional period. Surely the name change must be an April Fool's joke? Either way I want to know, are you curious about their new baked pastas, and would you buy pasta from Pizza Hut?

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Secret Ingredient: Chicken Recap

YumSugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:58:19 -0700

First of all, The next challenge is going to be a bit different and is actually going to last a while longer. Check back in a little while to see what we're up to.

Now on to the chicken recipes! Thanks to everyone who submitted their creations, there were some really impressive recipes submitted this time. We had lovely flavors such as Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo, Easy Italian Chicken, Mexican Style Slow Cooker Chicken and Instant Gratification Chicken. However my favorite recipe was definitely the one submitted by TeamSugar member andaman. Andaman has provided one of her original recipes for a highly aromatic Thai curry. I don't know about you guys, but I think this recipe for Thai Chicken Massaman Curry sounds unbelievably fantastic. To check it out, read more

Recipe Submitted by TeamSugar member andaman.

Here is my chicken recipe . It's 'thai chicken massaman curry'. The curry is sometimes called Muslim curry because the origin is from the muslim communities in Thailand. If you like spices this is the curry for you. It is highly aromatic.

Paste

100 grams Asian Shallots (stronger than the western types and much smaller, available in Asian stores)

50 grams Garlic Cloves
40 grams Pistachio Nuts
40 grams Pine Nuts
3 Whole Cardamon Pods
1 TB Cumin Powder
1 and 1/4 TB Turmeric Powder
1 TS Cloves Powder
1TS Smoked Paprika
1/2 TB Hot Chilli Powder
60 grams Galangal
1/2 TS Fennel Seeds
1 TS Amchoor Powder (It's dried mango powder, available in Indian stores)
1 TS Salt
1 TB Mild Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil
1/2 TS Saffron

Others
3 Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Floury Potatoes
1 Bay Leaf
4TB Tamarind Juice
1 Can (400ML) Coconut Milk
40 grams Toasted Unsalted Peanuts (optional)

Methods
1) Peel shallots and garlic cloves. Place them under the grill until they start to blacken a little.
2) Cut the chicken breasts into small cubes. Peel the potatoes and cut into four before parboiling them.
3) Toast the pine nuts and pistachio nuts until they are slightly brown in a pan.
3) Blend the garlic, shallots, and nuts in a blender.
4) Add the oil and the rest of the ingredients. Continue to blend until it forms a smooth paste.
5) Open the coconut can and scoop the creamy part, usually it sits at the top of the can, into a wok. Pour in the curry paste and stir until it starts to bubble.
6) Add Chicken, potatoes, bay leaf and the rest of the coconut milk left in the wok.
7) After the chicken is cooked, taste the curry and season with salt, sugar, more chilli powder and tamarind juice. The curry should taste mildly sour. If you like nuts you can add toasted unsalted peanuts at the end. In Thailand it's common to find peanuts in this curry. I, however, prefer to work the nuts into the paste.

I actually cook for a living. I would very much love to hear feedbacks. Please feel free to make suggestions. Some recipes call for cinamon, I would love to hear if anyone has experimented with it?

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