100.

I've written 100 posts in just over 8 months. I have to be honest, I didn't know if I would want to take the time to maintain a blog but, it's been lots of fun so far. Here's to 100 more!

I spent most of today cleaning and cooking. I haven't really had a chance to heat things up in my kitchen in the last few weeks so, I decided I would make something new for dinner. When I was in NYC earlier this week, I had dinner at Ssäm on 2nd Ave. It was one of the most interesting meals I've had in a long time. We had oysters, steamed pork buns, grapefruit cream pie, (I'm not entirely sold on this one) and my personal favorite of the night, their brussels sprouts. I'm not usually a fan but, this time I was pleasantly surprised. When I was planning tonight's meal, I thought of the brussels sprouts and looked them up. The Momofuku Recipe was the first result I found! They were pretty tasty.

Momofuku Brussels Sprouts

- serves 8 as a side dish -

Ingredients

For Brussels sprouts

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For dressing

1/4 cup Asian fish sauce

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons finely chopped mint

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro stems

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (1 1/2-inch) fresh red Thai chile, thinly sliced crosswise, including seeds. (I used dried and halved the amount.)

For puffed rice (optional)

1/2 cup crisp rice cereal such as Rice Krispies

1/4 teaspoon canola oil

1/4 teaspoon shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice blend)

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 450°F with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Trim and halve the Brussels sprouts, toss with oil, and roast, cut side down on baking sheet, for 20-35 minutes, depending on size and desired taste. They should brown but remain somewhat firm.

2. Meanwhile, stir together the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl.

3. If making puffed rice, cook ingredients together in a small skillet until toasted and slightly browned.

4. When sprouts are done, transfer to a serving bowl and add just enough dressing to coat. Top with more chopped mint or cilantro, and puffed rice if using.

Clean lines...

Robert Greene, (that's Greene with an E!) was the makeup artist on last week's shoot. I felt like a teenager watching him do his thing. Oh...if only I could make a line as clean as this one.

Learning.

No matter how many times you've done something, you can always learn from it. No experience is identical. Be patient. Listen. Respond. Smile. Keep trying, hard. Don't lose sight of your goal. Remember, you can always do better. Your future is bright!

A week in NYC.

After a bumpy flight into JFK last Thursday, I headed into Brooklyn to meet up with my friend Alex. She arrived home from work a few minutes before I walked through her door so, we decided to keep dinner simple. We hit up a Mexican restaurant around the corner from her place: a short walk and some delicious food! It's always nice to Jude, Alex and Lily (meow).

On Friday morning, I headed into the city for our pre production meeting at Hudson Studios. Everything went smoothly and we were able to finish up a few minutes early. Here is the studio we're shooting in, (lots of beautiful light) and another picture of our view from the 13th floor.

I had a nice long walk from the studio to my hotel. My plans for the evening were up in the air. It's kind of rare and really neat that I had two, mostly free, days in NYC. I wanted to do something since it was a Friday but, I was running low on energy. I ended up at Le Poisson Rouge to see the band Asobi Seksu. It was such good music and just my speed. I was at home in bed by 11pm. Oh, and here is a picture of the scandalous tank filled with coy fish that was hanging in the lobby.
I woke up on Saturday with plans to head to the Tim Burton exhibit at the MoMa. I checked on line to get more info. They were offering timed tickets sales only during the weekend and every slot was SOLD OUT!! I wasn't sure when I would be back in the city again so, I was a little disappointed. I decided to make the MoMa my destination and walk from 29th street to 53rd just to see what I could see. I picked up a coffee and a treat (yes, I like to take pictures of my food) and headed out.

It was very cold, (not as cold as Vermont this week but, still cold). I made a few stops along the way to sip my coffee and warm up. I finally made it to the MoMa and lucky me, they were still selling Tim Burton tickets for the 2:00 pm time slot. Lucky me!

Here is a picture of an installation created by Gabriel Orozco that was dangling in the entry way of the MoMa.
The Tim Burton show was great but, at max capacity, a little too crowded for most people. I caught a cab back to my hotel and got ready to head to Williamsburg to meet my friend Deena. She and I dined at a place called The D.O.C Wine Bar, (If you ever find yourself there, please check out the bathroom. SO COOL). Deena is wonderful. She always will be!

Tim Burton's timeline:

This morning, I sent a few work emails in preparation for the shoot tomorrow and then coordinated to have brunch with my long lost friend Brooke. I met her at this little spot in Carroll Gardens called Char No. 4. They are known for their whiskey drinks but, it was brunch so I decided upon a mimosa instead. Brooke had a bloody mary with the special house whiskey in it. It's been a few years since we've gotten together so, we didn't really ever stop talking!
After a little shopping session in SoHo, I arrived back at my hotel, had some dinner and retired to my room. I'm going to sleep shortly to help ease the blow of an early morning wake up call. Goodnight!

The Gang Member marries The Queen!

Meet the newest married couple on the block - Colin and Penelope! Let me tell you, this was one lovely wedding. I've had the pleasure of getting to know Colin and Penelope over the last few years. What a delightful experience it has been. They’ve built a strong community of family and friends around themselves and this wedding demonstrated that - smile after smile & fist pump after fist pump. From the song written and performed by Penelope's sisters and mom during the ceremony, to the incredible toast/stand up comedy performance given by groomsmen Mark and Spencer, it was clear. This couple has some deep roots that will enable them to weather any storm.

The Newlyweds:

Trapp Family Lodge:

A few crisp moments outside to get a fun shot of the ladies in the snow:

(thanks for the photos isaac wasuck!)

party time:

Details, details.

I've been in my new apartment for the better part of a month now. It's been fun getting to know the creaky wood floor, the gas stove that burned most of the first meal I cooked on it and how things look when the sun shines in through the windows during certain times of the day. There is a short list of things I'd like to do before I'll really feel like each room is fully functional. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the parts that feel complete!

dining room chandelier crystal:

bedroom doorknob:

fireplace detail:

A long weekend.

While many have tomorrow off to recognize and remember MLK, I'll be at work. That's okay because this weekend over-delivered. I really feel like I got my two days worth! On Friday night Jeff, Nelia, Marin and I had a lovely dinner at Bluebird Tavern. I had two chilled oysters and a double burger with boucher blue cheese and poutine. Yummy! After dinner, we met up with Jay and Maegen at Drink for a drink but, left fairly quickly once the bar began to fill up with party people. On Saturday morning, I drove down to Stowe to ride. I finally met up with Maegen and Jay, after taking the longer route to the Sensation Quad, (now I know what's up). We took a bunch of runs and enjoyed the sunshine, soft snow and warmer temps. When I got home I spent some time picking up, doing laundry and researching the dessert wine I planned to bring to Soe's bachelorette party, a 2007 Muscat de Beaumes de Venise. Soe's sisters, Emma and Hannah, put together an amazing 5 course meal for the 10 of us! Each guest was assigned a course and then tasked with finding a wine that paired nicely with the dishes being served. We were invited to bring two bottles of wine just to be sure everyone got a generous taste. Yes, that means twenty bottles of wine for ten people. Things got interesting. I won't disclose the details but, what an amazing evening it was! Colin is one lucky guy to be marrying Miss Soe next weekend. At 3am, I arrived home and slipped into my bed. Here are a few pictures of the evening.

The Wall Sisters - Soe, Emma, Hannah:

The Aftermath:

LZ and I:

Soe and Hannah: Looking Sassy-and kind of ghostly?!? (argg Blogger...or perhaps I'm still learning how to use a flash?).

Now, it's on to the wedding next weekend!