I made this salad last night and I absolutely loved it. It's a nice, warm winter salad with wilted greens and roasted vegetables. The parsnip packs a wonderfully rich, carmelized flavor, that is nicely amplified by the subtle fragrance of the roasted fennel and brussel sprouts.

Ingredients:
1 bulb of Fennel (Anise)
1/4 pound of brussel sprouts, quartered
1/2 pound Parsnip
1/2 cup of  Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 pound of fresh arugula
1/2 poind of fresh lettuce
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
White wine vinegar
1/4 cup of Shallots, diced
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut fennel into quarters, with quartered brussel sprouts and parsnip (cut into diagonal strips) into a roasting pan lined with foil. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, until coated. Cover with foil and place in oven for 25 minutes (approx.). Meanwhile, wash and cut lettuce and arugula. Check on the roasting vegetables. If the fennel is easily pierced with a fork, then place back in the oven, uncovered and set to broil for 5-7 minutes in order to carbonize some of the vegetables.

For dressing, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a sauce pan until hot. In another bowl, combine 1/8 cup of vinegar with shallots and salt, pepper to taste. Once oil is hot, add the rest of the dressing components and quickly whisk until emulsified. Toss the arugula and lettuce with hot dressing to wilt, and add roasted vegetables. For a finishing touch, dust the salad with the Parmesan cheese and serve warm.

I've never been able to keep any New Years Resolutions... lets see how this  year goes:

1. Make a budget and stick to it
2. (kind of related to 1) Save 20% of all income for discretionary fund i.e. vacation, planned large purchase, or... saving in general. Perhaps a retirement account?
3. Lose 10 lbs (I think that's doable. Not outlandish, I don't think. Although this makes me wish i had gotten a WiiFit for Xmas... so I could easily track this stuff)
4. Steadily increase distance run on a per week basis (I'm thinking half mile increments... obviously there comes a point where there are some diminishing returns... although i guess 13 miles per run isn't all that much for an actual runner)
5. Volunteer with an arts organization (that does not include TCG)
6. Break my relationship length cap (which... ostensibly isn't very hard to break)
7. Visit all 5 boroughs (so far I've only been to 3)
8. Take a vacation that does not include parents.
9. Take a class at the Foundation Center.
10. Make a 5  year plan... only with less Communists and radical Maoist authoritarian regimes.
11. Reduce my meat consumption. Especially Red meats. Seafood is debatable.
12. Gain a more thorough understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
13. Go to church at least once a month. (I finally found a prospective one! www.judson.org. I just hope there are some young people in it, and not all old queens and families)
14. Regularly go to bed before 1am. (and wake up earlier)
15. Make lunch for myself at least half the time, instead of buying it all the time.

I purposely threw in some easy ones so that I'll be able to check 'em off. Here we go, 2009.

Happy Ending - Mika: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKV8CWrtRas

Burning Bridges - Chris Pureka: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF3lpRtjf6Q&feature=related

Note to self: Living dangerously isn't nearly as fulfilling as James Dean makes it seem.

 sleeves are no place for hearts.

Last night I caught a performance of the famous Patti LuPone in her Tony-award winning performance in Gypsy. LuPone, obviously did a spectacular job. Her voice punched a hole right through the audience. I also liked how the set and lighting design were decidedly simplified and shied away from a complete devotion to realism, which in my opinion is overrated.

But the main reason I'm posting is because while picking up tickets at the TKTS booth in Times Square, I noticed that the New York run of Peter Shaffer's Equus featuring Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Richard Griffiths (History Boys), AND Kate Mulgrew (ST: Voyager) was on sale for 50% off. Um... I am desperate to see this show... not only do we get to see Radcliffe's acting chops for some real theatre (he got quite good reviews on London's West End), but Kate Mulgrew is really what has me excited. The actor turned Starfleet captain has long been a favorite of mine, and I'm aching to see her on stage. Tickets are around $60-$70 a piece... but since I work so close to the booth, I'd totally be willing to pick up an extra ticket for any New Yorker friend interested in the production as well.

So... i posted a letter to Sally Field today as part of my job.

THE Sally Field.

i love my job sometimes.

I bask in reflected glory!!

Green isn't my color, but I seem to wear it often. 

 Lost my phone.

1 way to make a bad week worse. oy. pray to all the gods out there that some nice person will return it.

i feel like all i've done in my life is wait for it to start.

Maybe I need to be more proactive about that.

On a side note: Do any of my NYC peeps want to see Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist? I have a soft spot for the dorky-cuteness of Michael Cera and I hear there's actually a fair bit of gay content in the film as well. Evidently Michael Cera's character is the only straight member of a gay band. Who'd a thunk?