oh the possibilities! i've been thinking about getting a mandoline for a while now (love the way it shaves vegetables almost paper thin), but i seem to have a mental block about adding gadgets to my kitchen-they create clutter, confuse things, and need to be cleaned! having said that, my lovely sister bought me a simple and easy to use mandoline ( thank you) that shaved two heads of fennel and 10 brussels sprouts into a beautiful salad for me in a matter of minutes. this gadget is a keeper. so is the salad recipe, by the way. i made the mistake of dressing it with my ginger-soy dressing (recipe to follow), but it is really much better ( as in a must) with a lemon-parmesan dressing  which allows the delicate flavor of the fennel to shine through. when using the ginger soy dressing i would substitute the fennel with napa cabbage (no need to use the mandoline) and add sesame seeds and sliced toasted almonds for a delicious asian style salad. 

for 4-6 servings:

• 2 large fennel bulbs, shaved (or thinly sliced)
• 8-10 brussels sprouts, shaved (or thinly sliced)
• 2-3 mandarin oranges (clementines), peeled, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds (optional)

*keep the tender greens from the fennel for garnish

for lemon-parmesan dressing:

• juice of 1 lemon (3-4 tbs)
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tbs good quality grated parmesan cheese
• sea salt & pepper to taste

whisk together

ginger-soy dressing (for napa cabbage & brussels sprouts salad)

• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger root (use microplane grater)
• 2-3 tbs soy sauce
• 1-2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• whisk together

(substitute fennel with napa cabbage, add sliced toasted almonds)