b's kitchen (feat. feifei) - cauliflower soup & zucchini farfalle

b doesn't cook much. esp in hk. so when her pal feifei invited her over for a girlie day of bumming around & cooking, b was v excited! here's what they made (courtesy of http://thepioneerwoman.com):

cauliflower soup
ok, so it wasn't as good as the BEST EVER cauliflower soup b has ever had (at pink salt, manly), but this was pretty good considering b & f had less than a third of some of the ingredients required... hehehe ... b learnt that f is good at improvising. and f is definitely less anal than b is about many things ... : )
recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/cauliflower-soup/

farfalle with zucchini
more improvisation required. b & f didn't have white wine on hand (that could be trusted anyway ... unrefrigerated shiraz rosé sitting in 30+ degree heat anyone?) nor the suggested substitute chicken broth/stock. so what did b & f use? good ol' 紹興酒 (shaoxing wine) of course! ah, authentic italian cooking is what they do! heehee. anyway, it was fine!! in fact, b & f's guinea piggies (f's lovely flatmates) even went so far as to say it was delicious. and b & f couldn't agree more! yummmy! zucchini (which b was a bit suspicious about because they didn't quite look like the ones you find in australia) were super yum. farfalle was al dente, as pasta always should be. basil and chives were a nice touch. only criticism was that the sauce was a teensy bit "shaoxing" at the end, but definitely, definitely very good. mmmmm. : )
recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/07/farfalle-with-zucchini-a-yummy-summer-meal/

*** H One

Shop 4008, Podium Level 4, ifc
(next to Four Seasons Hotel)
Central, HK
中環港景街1號國際金融中心商場2期4樓4008號舖
Ph: 28050638
12 noon - 2:30pm; 6:30pm-10:30pm

excellent
sea bass
home made spaghetti with swordfish, capers, olives & basil

good
complimentary bread basket

average
chef's counter (appetizer bar) - includes salad, antipasto, parma ham, pizza & sushi (!)
dessert surprise

poor
-

price: 400pp for lunch (including non-alcoholic drink each & 1 bottle of acqua panna to share)

value for money: 2 1/2 $$$

complimentary bread basket

home made spaghetti with swordfish, capers, olives & basil

sea bass

dessert surprise

comments
b's home made spaghetti was very good, definitely not of the pasta-from-a-packet variety. al dente, very tasty, much like the good pasta dishes you find in italy - all in all very 正宗. r's sea bass was also surprisingly good - perfectly cooked, tasty but not too much. dessert surprise was not too sweet but not really that special (or surprising). actually, couldn't quite tell what it was. there was vanilla icing on top of a chocolate layer of something of a mousse-like consistency, then we couldn't quite figure out what the other mousse-like layers were. appetiser buffet was ok, but not anything special either. will return to try more traditional italian dishes.