Belle September 2010

bellebelleAutumn EquinoxLeather and lacebalance fall fashion.

PrEPPPy HAndbook rEdux

LusH LifEAn insider’s guideto September leisure.

no CookingIs a raw foods dietright for you?

WomEn you sHouLd knoWLily LambertaElizabeth Sullivan

fEAst for tHE EyEsHow to turn food into art.

September 2010

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September 2010

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On the cOver:putty leather water-fall leather jacket by muubaa ($374) and grey and taupe leather belt by Streets Ahead ($184) at Glass boat; army green silky dress ($69) and maroon lace scarf ($32) at Lex’s of Carytown; watercolor lace tank ($109) at Ciao; tiny vintage cameo necklace ($9) at exile; sterling and rose gold rings made in Israel ($229, $312, $512) at the phoenix; vintage dice keychain ($10) at Verve in the Shops at 5807.

Styling by Lauren Healy; Photo by Scott Elmquist

StYLe & SUBStAnce 5Quilts with exotic stitchery. … A visit to cake cafe Shyndigz. … richmond’s healthiest person sometimes hankers for a beer. … Handmade beauty products. … prepster guide-books face off. … Just browsing with educator Kristin reed. by Katherine HoustounLUSh Life: An insider’s guide to richmond’s art, music and food culture in September. by Karen Newton 10

PerSOnALitieS 13PrOfiLe: Lily Lamberta’s artistic vision includes very large heads and parades. by Karen Newton 1�

fAShiOn cUeS 14feAtUre: Lace mixes with leather in a textural balance for fall. by Lauren Healy, Jeff Bland, Scott Elmquist and the Belle fashion team 14

BODY & SOUL 19ALternAtiveS: What a horseback ride tells me about myself. by Valley Haggard 19

ArtS & entertAinMent 21AgenDA: books, music and Suze Orman, among other goings-on this month. by Cat Baab, Hilary Langford and Deveron Timberlake

greAt tASte 23fOOD: Can a raw foods diet work for you? We meet two followers. by Natalie Mesnard 2�

entertAining: make your next dinner party a visual spectacle with help from three local chefs. by Deveron Timberlake 27

firSt PerSOn 30Loss brings a change of perspective on life’s little things. by Fran Withrow �0

belle

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PhOtOgrAPhY eDitOr: Scott elmquistfAShiOn eDitOr: Lauren Healy

cOntriBUting WriterS: Catherine baab, tess Autrey bosher,

Jonye Cordova, Julie Geen, Valley Haggard, Katherine Houstoun,

Hilary Langford, Jennifer Lemons, Natalie mesnard, Karen Newton,

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cOPY eDitOr: G.W. poindexter

DePUtY MAnAging eDitOr: ed Harrington

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Just browsing [The back-to-school edition.] Web site picks from Richmond women.

1. Make Magazine makezine.comMake is a magazine dedicated to do-it-yourself projects, usually focusing on computers, electronics, wood and metalworking, etc. Its website is, I think, better than the magazine itself. It links to a blog full of free do-it-yourself ideas with illustrations and instructions, podcasts, videos, an online community and great external links. If you want to build a Rube Goldberg device or just repair a shattered iPhone screen, this is the place to go.

2. Ted Talks ted.comTed is a worldwide network of conferences dedicated to giving some of the greatest minds in every field a small forum in which to discuss their most exciting works. The organization is so dedicated to the free dissemination of “ideas worth spreading” that it regularly uploads the talks to its website, where they stream for free. The subjects are always interesting, and quite often the presenters turn the art of public speaking on its head.

Kristin Reed joined the faculty at Virginia Common-wealth University in 2009 to teach Focused Inquiry, a fresh-man seminar that replaces English 101 and targets a small number of specific skill areas, including communication, critical thinking and problem solving. Originally from Ohio, Reed moved here by way of Indiana. She’s almost al-ways online. We asked for three of her favorite websites.

3. Tufts University’s Digital Classics Library perseus.tufts.edu/hopperThis is my back-to-school choice. Tufts University has made public an enormous archive of classical studies materials, including a huge collection of searchable classical texts available in Greek, Latin and English translations, and a fine col-lection of images from its art and archeology library. The databases have made long-inaccessible texts available for free to anyone with access to the Internet.

Most of us know what it takes to be healthy: Exercise, eat your veggies, avoid fast food, and so on. Native Richmonder Elizabeth Sullivan, recently crowned Richmond’s Healthiest Person by Retreat Hospi-

tal, walks the talk. An avid bicycler, locavore and all-around health enthusiast, Elizabeth, 24, entered the hospital’s inaugural contest on a whim -- then found herself taking home the $1,000 grand prize in July after online voters selected her from a panel of three finalists. Naturally, we had a few questions for her about how she does it:

What does being healthy mean to you? Being healthy is a balance of a lot of things. For me, it’s eating well and exercising and encouraging others to do the same. Mental heath is really important too: finding what you love and making time for those things also.

Describe your diet. I call myself a flexi-tarian. I’m primarily a vegetarian but I eat meat maybe once a month. The big thing for me when it comes to meat is

making sure that it’s organic, grass-fed and local. I eat local sources as much as possible.

Do you cook? I do. I can’t stop. When I come home from work, rather than turning on the TV and sitting down, I want to cook. I shop meal-by-meal. I cook almost every night for me and my roommates. My dad always raised us to think that the best thing in the world is to eat good food with good friends.

How do you stay motivated? I just feel good after I work out or have a good meal. There’s definitely a natural high that comes out of that. Plus, your body is something you’re stuck with your entire life. If you are not taking care of it, it can cause missed opportunities. It’s important to do everything I can do to be capable of living life to the fullest, whether that’s going places, providing things for other people or just living longer.

What are your plans for the prize money? I started a new savings account with the money, and I’m saving to go to Nicaragua to work with orphans. I’d like to go for about a year and work in orphanages and do development work down there.

Any vices? I definitely have my days when I break down and eat something I shouldn’t. It’s probably salty foods and beer. I love a good beer.

Winning Attitude

st yle & substAnce

| � | SEptEmbEr 2010 ● belle

Book “True Prep: It’s a Whole New Old World,” published September 2010

“Classy: Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady,” published April 2010

Author(s) Lisa Birnbach, the author of “The Official Preppy Handbook,” originally published in 1983, and graphic designer Chip Kidd

Derek Blasberg, editor at large of Style.com and Harper’s Bazaar

Premise A mocking yet somewhat earnest primer on prepster living in the digital age

A humorous handbook intending to provide the antidote to Lohanlike behavior: how to “be a lady, not a tramp”

Fun features “True Prep Pantheon” — a list of names you should know; a guide to preppy logos; a look at the rise of fleece and Vineyard Vines; guide to vintage stores across the country

History of the best parties; decoding the dress code; play lists for different occasions; a history of hostesses; favorite party themes; a list of “fashionable films to know”

Best chapter subheading

“The Big Game: How drinking enriches spectating”

“Say it, don’t sext it”

Could do without The cluttered layout, which can be headache-inducing. And the author can, at times, appear to take her topic too seriously.

A multitude of photos of Blasberg with celebrities and socialites, which feels like a visual (and tiresome) form of name-dropping.

Virginia connection

Hampden-Sydney College is coined the preppiest in America, in part because each freshman receives a student etiquette handbook upon enrollment

Socialite Byrdie Bell, who models the Lady and the Tramp throughout the book, is a direct descendant of William Byrd, Richmond’s founder.

Words of wisdom “Don’t say loaded; say well-to-do.” “Cell phones should not be visible at dinner. It’s downright gauche to give your phone more attention than your dining companions.”

Shyndigz is the picture-perfect incarnation of every sweet lover’s fantasy: a cafe that serves only dessert. Created by bryon Jessee, a Johnson & Wales University-trained chef, and his wife, Nicole, a self-taught cake artist, the business at 5716 patterson Ave. is open only on weekends, making it the ideal way to cap off date night.

Shyndigz serves five signature cakes for $4.95 per slice, among them a vanilla-bean cake filled with fresh berries and topped with cream-cheese icing; our opinion is that it’s to-die-for. It also offers seasonal specials every weekend. We recommend the grown-up s’mores ($6.95), a boozy chocolate creme confection served with a campfire-inspired, marshmal-low-topped branch, shown on page 28.

Can’t decide? Opt for the sampler ($14.95), a six-inch cake divided into quadrants of four signature flavors. Advertised to feed four, it can easily satisfy eight, so bring a crowd — or take the leftovers home for future enjoyment. You can also savor a cup of locally roasted blanchard’s coffee and view samples of Nicole Jessee’s whimsical specialty cakes, which she makes for weddings and special events. Open Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 11 p.m. Information at shyndigz.com or 938-3449.

Also out this month is “Take Ivy,” a book published in 1965 to serve as an introduction to the Japanese on Ivy League life in the States. Now translated into English for the first time, the book features pho-tographs from eight different East Coast universities, highlighting the style of young academic men in the ’60s. If you’re looking for authentic inspiration on prepster style, this is the place to find it.

If J. Crew’s rise to prominence is any

indication, prep is back in a big way — and pub-lishers are primed and ready. With this month’s arrival of “True Prep,” an updated version of “The Official Preppy Handbook,” we decided to take a look at some of the newly published “guidebooks” available for women — preppy and otherwise.

PREPPING THE PREPSTER

“True Prep: It’s a Whole New Old

indication, prep is back and pub-

ready. With this month’s

Handbook,” we decided

“guidebooks” available

Sweet Retreat

st yle & substAnce

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Lush Lifeby Karen newtonAn insider’s guide to richmond.

With the return of the school year and Virginia Commonwealth University in full force come all kinds of interesting things to do this month.

you can never go wrong starting your month with music, so don’t miss the o’brother show at the Camel on Sept. 7 (doors at 7:30 p.m., show at 8). o’brother’s music defies easy description, but fans of ambient music, classical music and film scores will hear plenty to love in its playing. tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door,

and you can expect to find a roomful of music lov-ers and musicians at this show.

the perfect place to go before the show is black Sheep. It’s a frequent place for musicians to go before a show, so you could end up eating with members of the atlanta band.

If you haven’t been to the Virginia Center for architecture at the branch House, perhaps photography and wine can entice you to see this local treasure from the inside. the opening reception for “american ruins,” an exhibit of 50 photographs of 16 sites of ru-ins on the american landscape, is Sept. 9 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. these openings are a good way to see the house, the exhibit and mingle with an eclectic crowd.

barboursville Vineyards will be pouring for the evening, so it’s also a fine opportunity to drink local. enjoy light refreshments while you’re there or save your hunger and head over to avalon

afterward. Its menu of small plates fits all appetites and budgets, and when Jason is behind the bar you’ll get verbal entertainment to boot.

the recent installation of Jun Kaneko’s large-scale pieces in the sculpture garden at the Virginia Museum of Fine arts is a must-see, especially now while the weather still

is pleasant enough for evening strolling. Don’t miss the op-portunity to hear the artist himself speak about his work Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. in the Leslie Cheek theater at the mu-seum. and definitely plan to arrive a bit early so you have time to explore Kaneko’s sculpture beforehand. no slides will be able to do it justice.

to make the most of your evening, start by going to opentable.com right now and making reservations for din-ner at amuse after the talk. the creative food and scenic view will make for a fine finish to an evening with a master sculptor. but don’t dilly-dally; amuse gets booked quickly.

For something new and different, go to balliceaux on Sept. 26 when Secretly y’all along with balliceaux presents “tell Me a Story.” the idea is that the evening will involve a series of tales from locals and legends, so there’s no telling what kind of things you might hear from richmonders with a story or two. although the storytelling will be in the back room, be sure to stop at the front bar for a cocktail with aus-tin first. a talented furniture maker and enthusiastic music lover, austin will ask what you like and create from there.

there’s so much going on in September and with the heat lessening, I know I can’t find a good reason to stay in.

Karen blogs about almost everything she does at icould-goonandon.blogspot.com.

ranch House, perhaps photography and wine can entice you to he opening reception for

uins,” an exhibit of 50 photographs of 16 sites of ru-merican landscape, is Sept. 9 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. these

openings are a good way to see the house, the exhibit and mingle

arboursville Vineyards will be pouring for the evening, so it’s njoy light refreshments

while you’re there or save your hunger and head over to avalon avalon aafterward. Its menu of small plates fits all appetites and budgets, and when Jason is

he recent installation of Jun Kaneko’s large-scale pieces in the sculpture garden at rts is a must-see, especially now while the weather still

is pleasant enough for evening strolling. Don’t miss the op-portunity to hear the artist himself speak about his work

heater at the mu-nd definitely plan to arrive a bit early so you have

no slides

make the most of your evening, start by going to right now and making reservations for din-

he creative food and scenic view will make for a fine finish to an evening with a master

muse gets booked quickly.alliceaux on

alliceaux presents he idea is that the evening will involve a

series of tales from locals and legends, so there’s no telling ichmonders with

lthough the storytelling will be in the back room, be sure to stop at the front bar for a cocktail with aus-

talented furniture maker and enthusiastic music ustin will ask what you like and create from there.

here’s so much going on in September and with the heat lessening, I know I can’t find a good reason to stay in.

Karen blogs about almost everything she does at icould-

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O’brother plays the Camel

barboursville ruins at the Virginia Center for Architecture’s American ruins exhibit

the black Sheep unveils the Delta

Dawg sandwich

Jun Kaneko’s sculptures are inside

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belle ● September 2010 | 11 |

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Pamper Yourself

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belle ● SEptEmbEr 2010 | 13 |

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personalities p r o f i l e

L ily Lamberta is the first to acknowledge that she’s a performer at heart. She came to puppet making and sculpture through her love of being onstage. That love be-gan at Bread and Puppet, a Vermont

collective that espouses cheap art and political theater. What started as a summer internship blossomed into full inspiration for large-scale puppet theater in Richmond. All the Saints The-ater Company was born six years ago and her first child, Oakley, nine months ago.

On taking actiOn with parades, pasta and puppets. In 2006 Lily organized Richmond’s first Halloween parade, leading a group of volunteers, musicians and cyclists through Oregon Hill. Last year she made puppets for the city’s first May Day parade to support workers’ rights, marching through Jackson Ward during the First Fridays Art Walk. All the Saints Theater Company holds spaghetti dinners as a means of building commu-nity, raising money and sharing talent both local and regional, with Lily the ringleader in her color-ful outfits and cowboy boots.

hOw mOtherhOOd and art can peaceful-ly cO-exist. Lily has nothing but raves about the changes brought about by Oakley’s birth in Janu-ary. “I was thrown through the roof with love,” she exults. “It is difficult finding time to make things now, but I’m excited about this new chapter of my life.” Part of the change involves moving her stu-

Puppet Paradedio from Plant Zero to the third floor of her new home in Westover Hills. The house is next to that of another artist and sits on an acre and a half, cre-ating “sort of an artists’ compound with chickens,” according to Lily. Plans are in the works to build a backyard theater to hold the spaghetti dinners to help keep costs down.

a night Owl pushes further with her art.Because Lily began as a performer, her art mak-ing is a more recent development. “I found puppet making through performance,” she says. “That’s a new part of me that has erupted.” She says that these days she works when “Oakley lets me work.” She’s had two sculpture shows of her large-format animal heads in the past two years, at Metro Space Gallery and 821 Café. She’s discovered the chal-lenges of balancing the organization and puppet making required for two parades with time to do her own work. She can also be found in Carytown on the weekends, selling some of her creations such as hobby horses, hand puppets and tin-can art, as well as those of other artists. She laughingly calls it “an excuse to play my accordion on the street.”

what’s cOming up fOr all the saints the-ater cOmpany. Lily will take All the Saints Theater Company on a Southern tour including New Orleans in January and February. A recent grant from Heather Henson, daughter of Mup-pets creator Jim Henson, has briefly helped ease the constraints of a street-level arts organization.

Artist Lily Lamberta brings her work to the streets. By KAReN NeWTON

This fall, she plans to recruit marching-band par-ticipants to lead every parade. “The reality is I’m just one person working on this,” Lily says. “But my goal is to have a real company sharing the rec-ognition of All the Saints. I can’t wait till it’s easier for arts groups to get local funding.”

tO be a part Of the actiOn. To experience the talent and passion of All the Saints Theater Company, check out its spaghetti dinner Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. On the menu will be pasta, sautéed spinach, bread and aioli, all for a sliding-scale fee of $8-$15. Music will be performed during din-ner, followed by Punk Sinatra, live puppet shows, a magician, music and Bread and Puppet perfor-mances. The event will be held at 1012 W. 49th St.

The theme for the Halloween Parade is Funeral March for the Dead, featuring puppets of landmark revolutionaries. Workshops will be held leading up to the parade for those interested in learning large-scale puppet making. For the less artistically inclined, it’s as easy as showing up in Monroe Park on Halloween around 6:30 p.m. and choosing a pup-pet, sign or mask to carry while following the No BS Brass band and Lily through Oregon Hill. The fifth year for the parade, it’s a major event in the neigh-borhood with people having porch parties and lin-ing the streets to witness Lily’s first creation. “If I ever get called away by the wind, I’ll always come back and do the Halloween parade,” she says.

Information at allthesaintstheaterco.com.


Leather

Ivory silk blouse by bec & Em ($139) and black leather pan-eled pencil skirt by ted baker ($275) at Eurotrash; ivory satin and lace camisole by mary Green ($59) at Lavender and Lace; black leather handbag with gold chain by Love moschi-no ($270) at Saks Fifth Avenue; black lace floral stocking by Leg Avenue ($10) and vintage bible locket ($10) at Exile; religious medal with antique metal and citrine stones by Cannon Ashby Jewelry by Ashby Sanderson ($208) at Ciao; black suede t-strap with rosettes by Chie mihara ($415) and gold and leather bangles by House of Harlow ($100-$113) at pink; braided studded leather brace-lets by Streets Ahead ($45) at Wardrobe; black and gold cos-tume bracelet by Sandra miller burrows ($40) at reFinery, Inc.


It’s all about the contrast.

Fashion editor: Lauren Healyart director: Jeff Bland

PhotograPher: Scott ElmquistModel: Nerry from Modelogic

MakeuP: Jonye Cordova of JonyegirlFaceshair: Maya Rickards, Spa310, Carytown


pale plaster leather top by theory ($495) at Saks

Fifth Avenue; sterling lariat ($24), mesh ring ($12),

sterling bar ring with gold setting ($40) and silver

braided necklace as brace-let ($16) at reFinery, Inc.;

gray-blue silk and wool lace shawl as necklace by robin

Kaplan ($229) at Ciao; brown opaque leggings

($19) at Lex’s of Carytown; gray-blue lace leggings by Covet ($46) at Glass boat; sterling stamped

earrings by Sylvan Spirit ($38) at Heidi Story; gray

suede round toe Velcro heel by Coclico ($350) at pink (shown on page 3).

Fashion Cues f e a t u r e

& Lace

| 16 | SEptEmbEr 2010 ● belle| 16 | SEptEmbEr 2010 ● belle

<< Get the LookWith fall fast approaching, bold

eyes are making their return. Rich hues of deep eggplant and burgun-dy along with sultry dark grays and black will definitely get you noticed this season. To achieve our model’s eye-popping effect, I applied black eyeliner on the lash line to contour the eye. Next, a dark matte taupe eye shadow was swept across the lid with a smoky gray tone in the crease. An off-black eye shadow was then pressed onto the outer corner of the eye to give depth and add richness to the look. Finally, I applied a light cream-tone eye shad-ow on the brow bone to shape and highlight, and finished with black mascara applied generously for length and volume. — JonyE CordoVA

WhErE to Find it:Bliss at 58125812 ½ Grove Ave.440-9025

ciao3031 W. Cary St.355-1050shopciao.com

eurotrash3009 W. Cary St.622-3876shopeurotrash.com

exile935 W. Grace St.358-3348

Frances kahn6229 River Road288-5246franceskahn.com

glass Boat3226 W. Cary St.358-5596glassboat.com

heidi story3319 W. Cary St.353-0994

lavender and lace306 Libbie Ave.484-6005lavenderandlacelingerie.com

levys5807 Grove Ave.673-0177

lex’s oF carytoWn3020 W. Cary St.355-5425lexsofcarytown.com

Phoenix3039 W. Cary St.354-0711thephoenixrichmond.com

Pink3158 W. Cary St.358-0884pinkstore.com

reFinery, inc.1221 Bellevue Ave.266-8424refineryinc.com

saks FiFth avenue9214 Stony Point Parkway320-6960saks.com

shoe Box401 Libbie Ave., Suite 3288-2303

shoPs at 58075807 Patterson Ave.288-5807shops5807.com

WardroBe1322 Gaskins Road397-5021


black lace top ($14) at reFinery, Inc.; black lace scarf ($22) and

bandeau ($14) at Lex’s of Carytown; vintage costume cameo ($12) and

vintage crest ring ($10) and sterling armor ring by marché noir ($95) at Exile; black pleated shorts by theory ($235) at Saks Fifth Av-

enue; brown leather bow belt ($57) and brown suede slip-on by Eliza-

beth and James ($350) at pink.


Fashion Cues f e a t u r e

black lace blouse with epaulets by the Wrights ($650) and army green cargo legging in denim by Vince ($225) at Frances Kahn; black lace bra by Cosabella ($64) at Lavender and Lace; leather and metal linked bracelets ($82-$106) at Glass boat; vintage cameo brooches ($10) at Verve in the Shops at 5807; vintage round cameo brooch ($13) at Exile; sterling wishbone dangle ear-rings by Kristen Walthall ($42) and black leather boots by Cydwoq ($466) at Ciao; sterling silver rings by boo bug Jewelry ($75) at bliss at 5812.


My take Like so many things today, the list

of massage therapy techniques is endless.

Whether you prefer deep tissue massage

or a relaxation massage, I ensure that your

preferences will be met every time you visit

me. My goal is to work with clients to suggest

small life changes that will help reduce the

amount of tension found within our muscles.

My commitment to you is to ensure that your

experience with me is always the best.

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(804) 285-1018, ext. 95 symmetryhair.com 412 Libbie Avenue Richmond, VA 23226

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My take A lot of folks still don’t know

there is a new jazz lounge and restaurant in

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ance to enlighten you with the Jazz talent

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Milestone has the flare of the Caribbean in

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My take Special Events are significant

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My take With 15 years experience, Owner

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What’s your secret to success? Calling all female professionals! Share your take on life, reaching your business goals, and balancing it so well. BecauseyouaretheBest!To participate in the next Belle’s Best please call (804) 358-2100 or email: [email protected]’sBest


yEasy Riderby VallEy HaggaRdA horse ropes my mind to the moment.

body & soul a l t e r n a t i v e s

I have ridden horses before. The summer I turned 21 I visited my girlfriend at a remote dude ranch in Colorado, where she was a wrangler. Jenne introduced me to my first horse via an eight-hour pack ride up a moun-

tain to take supplies to a group of hunters at the top. The following summer I got a job at the same ranch, but as a cabin girl. This time, my riding bud-dy was Travis, the 13-year-old, cigarette-smoking, whiskey-drinking son of the owner who thought it was hilarious to watch me gallop full speed down the side of the mountain. He was right, sort of. I respected the horses immensely, but, never quite knowing what I was doing on top of them, I feared for my life. Each time I dismounted intact, I was as surprised as I was exhilarated.

When my friend Julie invites me out to Ha-nover County for a horseback-riding lesson with her instructor, Miss betsy, on a punishingly hot day, I happily accept. Now midway through my 30s, I learn that horseback riding is a whole dif-ferent ballgame.

Julie and I are already sweating in our jeans, tank tops and boots when we’re greeted at the stables by betsy Majeweski, who, wearing a crisp white T-shirt and white shorts, her hair and make-up perfect, looks at least a dozen years younger

than the 53 she promises. Quickly assessing my riding ability, she leads me to one of her seven horses, a 25-year-old mare named Cinnamon, and hands me a bucket of brushes to get horse and rider acquainted before the mount. The next sur-prise is the helmet. To safety precautions such as these, I’m unaccustomed. Miss betsy walks me through the steps of saddling Cinnamon and put-ting the bit in her mouth.

She hands me the reins. “lead her to the sub ring without looking at her,” she tells me. “you have to work together as a team; this shows who’s in charge.” Cinnamon follows my lead into the fenced-in course surrounded by woods and fields of corn in a picturesque version of Virginia that I’m happy to find not too far outside of the city. I feel a long-forgotten thrill when I put my boot in the stirrup and hoist myself up.

Miss betsy, who’s been teaching western and hunt-seat riding lessons for 17 years, leads me through the basic commands and corrects my slouchy posture. “always look forward,” she says, “because you are leading the way. Maintain your balance and keep your back straight — like you are sitting in a chair. This will stop you from falling over.”

Falling over, however, is the last thing on my mind because when I first ask and then command

Cinnamon to jog, she does so for only about 30 sec-onds. later, Julie’s 11-year-old daughter, georgia, explains that this is essentially because the horse has not yet learned to take me seriously. I concur. and because I’ve forgotten to wear a sports bra — the most essential article of riding clothes for a woman like myself — I don’t mind. I relax into the gentle ride and chat with Miss betsy.

a member of the Western Hunt Club, Miss betsy teaches riding lessons for men, women and children in addition to raising cattle and all of her own food. “Riding is a wonderful thing to intro-duce to children,” she says, “because it doesn’t involve technology. They learn to engage, to take responsibility and to respect authority.” and it’s an empowering sport for women too, she says. “you don’t have to be just a mother and a maid. you can leave the husband, boss and kids at home. you can’t allow too many outside stresses in life into the riding ring. For one thing, it’s dangerous. you have to be in the moment.”

and for that hot, blissful hour in the rink, I am. The soreness in my thighs the next morning is the good kind. It proves I can get back in the saddle.

Betsy Majewski can be reached for lessons or horse boarding at 363-8025.

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C o m p i l e d b y Cat baab, Hilary langford and deveron timberlake

AGEndAbrit litfans of laura barton’s won-derful music column, “Hail, Hail, rock ’n’ roll,” which runs in britain’s guardian newspaper, have eagerly anticipated her first novel. they may be disappointed with “twenty-one locks,” though, with its very small horizons, closed-in characters and quite limited concerns. all that said, barton’s gift for observation and eye for re-vealing detail are on display, just as in her columns — the book is worth reading just for the dead-on descriptions of homes and pubs in northern england in the early ’90s. Seriously. — C.b.

virginia native belle boggs’ first collection of stories won a presti-gious bakeless prize, and no wonder. Set on a native american reser-vation in king William County, the narratives shift and intertwine, drawing slowly but sus-pensefully a portrait of what is, mostly, a forgotten community. every line rings true; take a sentence like this one as an example: “it was like love. ... Something you thought you should have until it was right there in front of you and you realized you were committed to it whole.” — C.b.

nativetongue

“Mattaponi Queen”by Belle BoggsgrayWolf preSS, $15

arton’s won-derful music column, “Hail,

oll,” which uardian

newspaper, have eagerly anticipated her first novel.

ey may be disappointed ocks,”

though, with its very small horizons, closed-in characters and quite limited concerns.

arton’s gift for observation and eye for re-vealing detail are on display,

— the — the —book is worth reading just for the dead-on descriptions of homes and pubs in northern

gland in the early ’90s.

Sept

.

“twenty-one Locks”by Laura BartonQuerCuS bookS, $12.99

Ray LaMontagne “God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise” rCa/red

on his fourth studio album, raspy voiced troubadour ray lamontagne (sec-

ond from left) recruited the pariah dogs to crank out a handful of rustic tunes recorded in his home studio in rural massachusetts. known for being somewhat reclusive, lamontagne finally appears to be relaxed in his space, allowing songs to frolic and jangle with loopy slides and banjo plunks without the limitations of formal structure. “new york City’s killing me” confirms his disdain for modern things and their con-sequences, a sentiment that bubbles up more than once. “are We really through?” and “this love is over” sig-nal the usual heartache and yearning, but this time you feel closer to those feelings because of the intimate pro-duction of the disc. vocally, lamontagne’s soul gives way to a few more country styl-ings but sounds very familiar, and that’s ultimately the best thing about this collection of songs. — H.L.

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listen up, all ye neo-hipsters with nary a memory of seminal ’90s alterna-tive rock. this is how indie is done. With its third merge records release, montreal outfit arcade fire has consumed fans and critics for months with the promise of yet another epic record to which all things released in the same year would be compared. it has delivered in one fell, orches-tral swoop. With “funeral” and “neon bible,” we began to suspect a few things about the band; it’s a juggernaut of talent, and rarely would one be able to predict what the next album would sound like. this release confirms both suspicions. a busting-at-the-seams track listing suggests grandeur without even pressing play. the real wow comes while the songs spill forth, gor-geously embracing styles from folk to punk with absolute perfection. for all of its complex musi-cal parts and contempla-tive layers, it can simply be summed up in a word: success. — H.L.

make this the year you take in the annual festival of india, a free cultural event Sept. 25 at the greater richmond Convention Center. Sample an impressive spread of indian cuisine, listen to live music, and browse the saris, jewelry and other import-ed goods in the marketplace while a swirl of dance and culture pervades the hall. the popular festival runs 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. See thefestivalofindia.org for details.

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make this the year you take in the annual 25 at the indian cuisine, listen to live music, and browse the saris, jewelry and other imported goods in the marketplace while a swirl of dance and culture pervades the hall. the popular festival runs 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. See

aRcade FiRe“The Suburbs”merge reCordS

Indie Triumph

Cure by design comes to the Jef-ferson Hotel on Sept. 10, promising a memorable evening of designer fashions modeled by cancer sur-vivors, with goodies to purchase at auction, as well as cocktails, dinner and a powerful beat-cancer mission. See curebydesign.org for ticket information.

beyond nAAn

money’S on Suzetv finance guru Suze orman headlines the Women Who mean business Summit on Sept. 23 at the greater richmond Convention Center. the one-day event, held by the metropolitan business league, hopes to motivate the next generation of female entrepreneurs with appearances by role models in lead-ership positions. See the website for details. womensbizsummit.com.

Pink and Other Colors

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FashionShop with a passion and enjoy special savings at this kick off event and Saks Fifth Avenue will donate a percentage of sales from Oct. 21 – 24.

FoodCakes by Graham The Melting Pot Morton’s Steak House Seasonings Fine

Catering and Great Seasons Cafe TJ’s Restaurant and LoungeDrinks designed by Bobby Kreuger

FunChoice Entertainment

Emme St. James and her Jazz Gentlemen Freeze Frame Photobooth

White Coats for the Cure Fashion Showfeaturing lab coats designed by:

Andras Bality, Matt Lively, Ann McLean, Cindy Neuschwander, Heidi Trepanier and Kay Unger!

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Guest appearance by Virginia – born jewelry designer,Temple St. Clair!

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great taste f o o d

Let’s face it, the omnivore’s dilemma — deciding how, what, where and when to eat — can be a daily trial. In a world of dietary uncertainty, a growing number of advocates claim numerous benefits from eat-ing food in its natural state. These raw foodists are vegetarians or vegans who eat a diet composed primarily of uncooked vegetables,

fruits, nuts and seeds. They claim weight-loss, improved digestion, in-creased energy and anti-cancer properties as just a few of the reasons to go raw. With Richmond’s abundance of fresh produce and a few basic recipes, making the switch can be easier than it seems. Can a raw food diet work for you? It’s not for everyone, but for some — including these working women — the results are intriguing.

Health information consultant Marina Kharitonova started eating raw when she was a senior in college. “I was into whole foods and organic stuff,” Kharitonova says. Raw foods were “just the next step.” She was impressed when her stepfather successfully used a raw food and juice diet to treat his health issues, and she picked up the book “Raw: The Uncook Book” by Ju-liano Brotman, a celebrity chef who runs an all-raw restaurant in California. Soon she was eating a diet composed of at least 90 percent raw foods, and says she was healthier than she’d ever been. She started a blog to show off photos of her meals and keep track of recipes, and became an Internet celeb-rity in the world of Russian raw food, appearing in Russian magazines and writing articles on her culinary lifestyle.

Deborah Farley, an acupuncturist and holistic health coach, has also made raw food a big part of her life. She not only eats almost all raw, but also was recently cer-tified as a raw and living food chef and teacher. She now offers courses on raw foods through her holistic health practice. (For information, visit Farley’s website at debifarley.com). Farley’s raw food lifestyle started when she moved to Richmond. Though she’d known about raw food for some time, she didn’t try eating raw until she joined a community-supported agriculture co-op in Richmond and met other members who were

Cookingthe raw food movement

gains ground in richmond. By NaTalIe MeSNaRD

ready to go raw? • Kharitonova recommends starting with breakfast and lunch. “Perfect

five recipes you know you can make really quickly,” she says. “I can always ‘cook’ something in 15 minutes.” Farley recommends raw food meet-up groups and potlucks. Go to meetup.com to find the organization. • Farley suggests starting with green smoothies — dense, nutritious

blends that incorporate leafy greens such as spinach or kale, as well as fruits — and salads. • Fancy equipment is helpful but unnecessary. a high-quality blender is a

good place to start — most serious raw foodists choose the expensive but near-ly indestructible Vitamix blender. Some raw devotees also use juic-ers, substituting fruit and vegetable juice for some meals, and dehy-drators, which can greatly expand the raw food repertoire with fruit leathers, raw crackers, and countless dried fruits and vegetables.• Both women agree that one of the best aspects of eating raw in

Richmond is its thriving farmers’ market scene and diverse selection of co-ops. a visit to a farmers’ market can provide quick inspiration for raw meals, and co-ops look for new members in the fall and winter months.

Book list“raw: the Uncook book: New Vegetarian Food for Life”by Juliano Brotman and Erika LenkertReGaN BooKS, 1999

“12 Steps to raw Foods: How to End Your Depen-dency on Cooked Food”by Victoria Boutenko and Gabriel CousensNoRTH aTlaNTIC BooKS, 2007

“Green for Life”by Victoria BoutenkoR aW Fa MIly PUBlISHING, 2005

“the raw Food Detox Diet: the Five-Step plan for Vibrant Health and maximum Weight Loss”by Natalia RoseHaRPeR PaPeRBaCKS, 2006

Marina’s Butternut Squash Soup

IngredIents1 cup butternut squash, cubed1 medium sweet pepper, red or yellow, seeded and

chopped2 tablespoons of pine nuts3 tablespoons of sun dried tomatoes (dry with salt)¼ of small white yellow onion1 tablespoon of sage, fresh or dry1 teaspoon of rosemary, fresh or dry½ teaspoon mild curry powder1/4 teaspoon of sea salt½ to 1 cup of warm water, as needed to blend

dIrectIons: Place everything in the blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with fresh herbs or pomegranate seeds.

Is overratedon raw diets. once she started eating raw, she says, the results were immedi-ate. “My digestion is better, I sleep better, my skin’s better and I have more energy,” Farley says. “Raw food just seems to work for me.”

Deborah Farley teaches how to “cook” raw foods.

marina Kharitonova (above right) says a raw foods diet has improved her health.

1 medium sweet pepper, red or yellow, seeded and

3 tablespoons of sun dried tomatoes (dry with salt)

½ to 1 cup of warm water, as needed to blend

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great taste e n t e r t a i n i n g

You can’t put lipstick on a pig and all the plate-dressing ideas in the world can’t save a miserable-tasting dish. But once you’ve perfected your

recipes and are ready to take food pre-sentation to a more creative level, these ideas can make a design statement at your next dinner or dessert party.

Why bother? Most chefs agree that we eat with all of our senses, starting with our eyes, and an appealing plate is worth the time it takes to create. “A perfect plate tastes good, looks good, and when you eat it, you smile,” says chef Greg Haley of Amuse at the Vir-ginia Museum of Fine Arts. “I want my plates to impress when they hit the table.”

Haley, chef Tim Bereika of Secco Wine Bar in Carytown and chef Bryon Jessee of the West End cake cafe Shyndigz (see page 8 of this issue) say they’ve mostly taught themselves how to make eye-catching plates and that guests always notice the efforts.

“Most chefs would say that if it looks great, it’s more apt to improve the entire experience, includ-ing tasting,” Bereika says. At Secco, he uses plates that allow generous space around the edges in the same way a mat frames a work of art. “No smudg-

TECHNIquESColor is key: Choose ingredients with the rainbow in mind. Because most cooked proteins are beige to brown, it’s essential to add bright vegetables and garnishes for color balance and textural interest.

iCe bath: “Proper blanching of vegetables keeps their color — that’s hugely important,” Haley says.

By DEVEroN TIMBErlAkE

Edible Arting, no running sauces or streaks,” he says — “we like margins on the dish with nothing running off to the edge.”

A wide repertoire of plates and bowls in oblongs, ovals and rectan-gles allows chefs to choose a differ-ent look for each course. Most chefs prefer white plates to show off their food, and they choose dishes with simple, modern lines and oversized scale to allow room to create the

wow factor.“Take pride in presenting your food to people,”

chef Jessee says. “often people take pictures of our plates before they eat, and there’s no better compliment than that.”

Local chefs teach us

a few tricks for plating food.

At Amuse in the Virginia museum of Fine Arts, chef Greg Haley uses a ring mold to stack tuna tartare and avocado, then tops the tower with a star anise cookie and microgreen garnish.

Chef tim bereika of Secco Wine bar mar-ries contrasting flavors, textures and colors for an appetizer. Slivers of proscuitto enclose chunks of local figs stuffed with herbed cheese, topped with a micro-green garnish, sitting on dots of vincotto foam, a red wine reduction.

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ToolS oF THE TrADE

1. squirt bottles: For restrained use on

the plate, simple plastic squeeze bottles put flavored sauces in patterns. try dots, crisscrosses or stripes, or use a toothpick to turn a dot into a heart. tread lightly and remember no one wants an errant squeeze to ruin a nice shirtsleeve.

2. Plating tongs: Shaped like big

tweezers, these precision holders keep food from glopping and dripping on the plate. more likely the tool of pros, these slender, ribbed tongs are available for home chefs looking to add finesse to their skills.

3. ring molds: to make vertical food, stack

ingredients in store-bought or made-from-can molds and get a dramatic look. Experiment to get a parfait look with savory ingredients.

4. shakers: Used for confectioner’s sugar,

cinnamon or cocoa, the best and lightest dusting comes when it’s held high above the plate, chef Jessee says. Don’t overdo it or the guest inhales the powder.

5. torChes: For showier desserts including crème

brûlée, there are home-ver-sion kits, but Jessee makes his own with a propane tank and a screw-on nipple. Sim-pler still is the oven’s broiler, fine for crisping a sugar crust if it’s watched very carefully.

“Have an ice bath ready to stop the cooking, and then sauté the vegetables quickly before you make your plate.”

Careful Cutting: Home cooks should invest in at least one or two good knives and keep them sharp, Bereika reminds. “When cutting the food, make sure it’s accurate and consistent” for best effect, he says. Food cooks uniformly and looks precise.

reduCtions: “A balsamic reduction is a mainstay in all sorts of cases, or a port wine gastrique to give more depth to the dish,” Haley says. “I let it thin out to a smooth drizzle and gently sling it around with a spoon.”

Clean towel: “If you’re searing a piece of meat or seafood, have a nice, clean towel next to you and blot it dry to remove excess oil so it doesn’t bleed all over everything,” Haley says. Chefs are quick to clean up errant drips to make a flawless presentation.

margins and height: “Don’t mound food on too small a bowl or plate,” Bereika says. “uti-lize the white space and leave margins on the plate.” Go tall or wide to vary the design, and match the application of food to the shape of the dish.

balanCed flavors: “If a food or sauce has a strong flavor, don’t put too much of it on the plate,” Bereika says. “A balance of ingredients is key.” Textures should vary — crisp and creamy items make good contrast for both designing and eating.

avoid CliChés: Those squiggles of sriracha sauce all over the plate are passé and can make a mess; same with an overload of sprinkled herbs or food that’s too tall to tackle with a fork. use restraint and redo if necessary, keeping flavors consistent with the main attraction.

exPeriment and enjoy: “I want food to be fun,” Haley says. “There’s nothing more upsetting to me than when people take food so seriously they don’t enjoy themselves. Food is social and brings people together.”

great taste e n t e r t a i n i n g

Sauteed salmon is gently blotted before chef Haley nestles it on a plate with color-ful julienned carrots, celery and red onion over soba noodles. A finishing touch of white wine, butter and sesame oil adds sheen and flavor.

Grown-up s’mores at Shyndigz feature marsh- mallows skewered on a stick and given a quick blow-torch browning. A dusting of confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder amplifies the flavors of Nicole Jessee’s graham cracker brownie.

A chocolate ganache dessert at Secco is arranged with local raspberries, pecan pralines and dots of espresso sauce. rosemary powder and leaves complete the composition, showing playful contrast in colors, textures and flavors.

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belle ● SEPTEMBER 2010 | 29 |

belle resources

“Courage doesn’t alwaysroar. Sometimescourage is thelittle voice atthe end ofthe day thatsays I’ll try againtomorrow.”

~ Mary Ann Radmacher

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Saturday, Feb 19th, 2011

11:30-4pm

Science Museum of VA

2500 W. Broad St


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I’m studying a spoon.I’ve been looking at it for a while now,

noticing the heft, the cold contours, the pleasing curve of the bowl. I think about how it clinks in my mouth, how I lick every bit of ice cream off that tangy metal sur-

face, what a comfort it is when I eat my morning oatmeal. I actually hadn’t thought much about spoons before.

My stepmother’s grandson lost his life recently to leukemia. Brandon was 27, and left behind a wife and two children. Near the end he could eat only a few spoonfuls of food a day. So I’ve been thinking about spoons.

When we received the news that his end was near, I began to wonder what I would do if I knew I had just a few days left. Provided I had sufficient strength, I hope I would be more aware of every little thing about me.

If you could manage only one or two spoonfuls

of food a day, would you not savor them, swirl them in your mouth, swallow with deep gratitude for the way they slide into your stomach and fill your body? Would you manage that little bit and long for more, always frustrated and never satisfied? Or would the deterioration of your body block your ability to enjoy what little you could ingest?

When I began to attend a yoga class several years ago, I found the poses challenging. My body squawked at being asked to contort into positions it hadn’t had to attempt since early childhood. But more difficult than the poses was the mindset: the struggle to let go of extraneous thoughts and re-ally focus on the here and now, to accept the mo-ment and be grateful for it. It was, and is, hard work to pay attention just to my breath, to prevent my mind from flitting around like a moth toward a flame.

In and out, in and out. How many breaths do I have left? Lao-tzu said, “The master gives himself

up to whatever the moment brings.” How do I re-main focused on each moment without worrying about what lies ahead?

I hold the spoon in my hands. I touch it to my cheek, and it feels cold, hard, familiar. I taste it, drop it on the floor to hear the clatter we’ve all heard when we get a bit clumsy. I pick it up, study it and see a blurry reflection of myself — a muddy, murky blend of dark hair, glasses and a red shirt.

I stick the spoon in my morning bowl of cereal and I temporarily disappear. But the memory of me, of the spoon, remains. If I close my eyes I can see it still. In and out of the bowl I go, back and forth, here and there.

We have so little control over the end of our lives. All we can do is hold each breath in our hands like spoonfuls of warm sand from the beach. We hold each breath and then watch as it drips away.

There is always sand on the beach. And that will have to be enough.

By FrAN WITHrOW

Looking at a SpoonMaking sense of the unfathomable.

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Belle September 2010