Belle Dec. 2011/Jan. 2012

DECEmbEr 2011/january 2012 FrEE

belleBring on the BlingFestive Holiday Fashion

gifts By neighBorhoodWhere to Shop and Snack

Brain PoweredPsych Yourself Up

an educated guestTakes on Pork Belly

where to Be, what to seeIn Richmond this Season

| 2 | novEmbEr 2011 belle

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F o l l o w u s o n l i n e F o r updates and spec i a ls !

belle DECEmbEr 2011/january 2012 | 3 |

Mind GaMes 15Perplexed by personal relation-ships? Here’s some guidance from a pro. By Holly Timberline

Fitness 16The brain needs its own train-ing regimen for peak per-formance. By Julie Geen

Personalities 18ProFile: Hope Ginsburg seeks out the connections between art, nature and life. By Karen Newton

Fashion Cues 20Holiday glitz and glamour make the scene with some show-stopping bling. By Lau-ren Healy and the Belle fashion team

aGenda 26Vince and Amy, holiday house tour, music and books to enjoy in December. By Julie Geen, Hilary Langford and Elizabeth Jewett

Great taste 29an eduCated Guest: Pork belly seems to be on all the best menus lately. By Ellie Basch

First Person 30Math isn’t my strongest suit. By Julie Geen

style & substanCe 5Better than sugarplums … holiday gift guide from dif-ferent directions in Richmond … better nutrition for the new year. By Elizabeth Jewett

lush liFe 12Take time from holiday frenzy to seek out Richmond’s cultur-al bonanza. By Karen Newton

alternatives 13How does faith translate from one generation to the next? By Valley Haggard

DeceMBeR 2011

on the Cover: Rachel Albright wears a vintage rabbit fur jacket and gold bird belt from Blue Bones Vintage for Need Supply co.; the pink strapless party dress by Sheshanna is from Levys. See details in our holiday fashion report beginning on page 20.Styling by Lauren Healy and photo by Scott Elmquist.

belle

Belle is published monthly and is free. One copy per person. Belle may be distributed by authorized distributors only. Style Weekly subscriptions are avail-able for $49 (third class mail) and $99 (first class mail). Style Weekly, 1313 E. main St., Suite 103, richmond, Va. 23219, 804-358-0825; General fax 804-358-1079; news fax 804-358-9089; Classified phone 804-358-2100; Classified fax 804-358-2163.

www.styleweekly.com E-mail: [email protected]

Copyright © by Style Weekly Inc. Tm 2011 all rights reserved.

Publisher: Lori collier [email protected]

editor in ChieF: Jason Roop [email protected]

editor: Deveron Timberlake

art direCtor: Joel Smith

PhotoGraPhy editor: Scott elmquistFashion editor: Lauren Healy

ContributinG Writers:

ellie BaschJulie Geen

Valley Haggardelizabeth JewettHilary LangfordKaren Newton

Holly Timberline

CoPy editor: G.W. Poindexter

dePuty ManaGinG editor:

ed Harrington

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advertisinG GraPhiC artists:

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belle December 2011/january 2012 | 5 |

StylE&SubStancEHot products, new ventures and local discoveries. by elizabetH Jewett

photo by scott elmquist

all over townWhere to f nd the perfect gif in a neighborhood near you.

If shopping takes you to Lakeside, the gift emporium and eatery Feathernesters of-fers its peanut butter pie as a rich reward. 6118 Lakeside Ave. feathernesters.com

| 6 | December 2011/january 2012 belle

Shop the Fan, Westhampton and Shockoe for trendy, eco-conscious gifts that blend the old with the new.Richmond reclaimed wall-mounted coat rack, $65, Strawberry FieldsLocal artisan Eric Schmoldt makes recycled items from historic Richmond houses. This coat rack with vintage knobs will bring a functional piece of history to any home.

Recycled candles, $18-$22, V for the HomeThese candles are not only fun and funky, but also a completely green product.

Glasses, $16.50 each, These Four WallsMade from recycled wine bottles, these glasses are just right for the environmentally conscious wine lover in your life.

Earrings, $56, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts shopShop the VMFA for modern jewelry from local names. Featured earrings are from Sylvan Spirit.

Take a shopping break:Lucille’s Bakery, 719 n. meadow st. | 687-6513 | lucillesbakery.netIt may sit by the busy intersection of Broad and Meadow, but step into Lucille’s, try one of its homemade pastries — the almond crois-sant is especially heavenly — and you’ll forget all about the traffic.

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Shop north of town for playful, quirky gifts with a sense of humor.Stained glass peacock, $89.95, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden shopGive this stained glass peacock to people on your list who aren’t afraid to show their true colors and strut their stuff.

Assorted chocolates, Chocolate CravingsAnyone with a sweet tooth on your list will love Cathy Churcher’s locally made gourmet choco-late barks, bars, tarts and truffles, with flavors as varied as jalapeno and peppermint.

Richmond inspired perfumes, $20 each or 4 for $60, Modern AtelierNorth Side’s Amy George crafts perfumes inspired by Richmond, such as Ginter Park Wisteria, Evergreen Cemetery or MacArthur Avenue. Available online at modernatelier.net and at Clippi Headren Salon.

Gomez the Poodle bookends, $52, EmbellishBook lovers will go nuts over these perfectly Parisian poodles. Throw in a gift card to a local bookstore and they’ll be in literary heaven.

Take a shopping break:Feathernesters6118 Lakeside ave. | 262-7305 | feathernesters.comStop for lunch and tea or a slice of its famous buttermilk pie. Once you’ve re-ener-gized you can browse the selection of vintage-style home and garden goods.



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Shop the far West End for Richmond’s take on glam fun that’s chic but not gaudy.Earrings, $69, Monkee’s of RichmondEven someone who prefers a monochromatic ward-robe will be charmed by these sparkling green ear-rings, a playful accompaniment to a little black dress.

Richmond landmarks plate, $20, TweedIf anyone on your list is homesick for the Riv-er City, this dishware will bring a little piece of Richmond to any corner of the world.

Scarf, $58, WardrobeWho says winter scarves have to be heavy and dull? This one is bold, silky and deliriously colorful.

Nana grater, $34, La Différence Grating cheese will never seem like a chore again with this charming grater from La Diff’s West Broad Village store.

Take a shopping break:Frostingsshort pump station 11331 W. broad st. 360-2712 frostingsva.comUnless you’re made of stone, there’s no way to re-sist a red velvet cupcake from Frostings at the end of a long day of shopping. Or two. Or three.


belle December 2011/january 2012 | 11 |

Head south of the James for classic, stylish gifts that make a statement without any fuss.Necklace, $170, Belle Arte GalleryMade from natural stones and raw materials, this Earthstone Origi-nals Collection pendant gives Mother Nature a fashion statement.

Pewter can holder with liner, $43, Sycamore Pewter & GiftsMost can holders are disposable novelties. This pewter one, made locally, is the kind of classic item that anyone will keep forever.

Wine bottle holder, $42, Williams & SherrillDisplay your wines in style with this combi-nation wine bottle holder and chalkboard — a great touch for a wine-tasting party.

Assorted wines, Vino MarketThere’s one gift that appeals to almost every adult, and that’s wine. Browse Vino Market’s extensive selection for just the right bottle.

Take a shopping break:Midlothian Apothecary13502 midlothian Turnpike 794-5592 | midloapothecary.comIf you aren’t familiar with South Side, the best way to get acquainted is at the Apothecary. Rest your feet, sip on a milk-shake and listen to the chatter from the regulars. You can’t get any more Midlothian.

FIND IT HERE: Belle Gift ResourcesCityV for the Home5703 grove ave.282-4275vforthehome.comthese Four Walls1401 e. cary st.622-6201shopthesefourwalls.comStrawberry Fields423 strawberry st.213-0232strawberryfields.usVirginia Museum of Fine Arts200 n. boulevard340-1400vmfa.state.va.us/shop

NortH SideLewis Ginter Botanical Garden1800 Lakeside ave.262-9887lewisginter.orgClippi Headren Salon929 myers st.308-0450embellish5105 Lakeside ave.622-7770embellish-yourhome.comChocolate CravingsThe hub shopping center6929 Lakeside ave.363-6873choccravings.com

SoutH SideBella Arte Gallery3734 Winterfield place794-1511bella-arte.comWilliams & Sherrill2003 huguenot road320-1730williamsandsherrill.comSycamore Pewter & Gifts1353 sycamore square794-6606shopsycamoresquare.comVino Market3730 Winterfield road594-0044thevinomarket.com

WeSt eNdWardrobegayton crossing shopping center1322 gayton road740-2261wardroberichmond.comLa différence2436 old brick road360-8102ladiff.comtweed4035 Lauderdale Drive249-3900tweedathome.comMonkee’s of richmond11709 W. broad st.360-4660monkeesofrichmond.com

etSyella Scott Jewelsetsy.com/shop/EllaScottJewelsBlythe Kingetsy.com/shop/blythekingApropos roastersetsy.com/shop/AproposRoasters

Shop Richmond’s online Etsy stores for original, handmade items that seamlessly blend art and whimsy, made by local artists.Light rose Swarovski cocktail ring, $12, ella Scott JewelsJewelry can be an intimidating gift. But this ring is sweet, simple and utterly affordable.

Vintage fabric mulligan iPad case, $72, Blythe KingAfter you see this lush, plaid case, any other iPad will look naked by comparison. Your iPad will be the envy of all the other iPads.

Hot chocolate gift set, $35 for 3 or $12.99 each, Apropos roastersLocal coffee gurus Apropos Roasters put their spin on cocoa with a set of three flavored hot chocolates, including Mexican, coco-nut, and spiced orange, sweet antidotes for a chilly winter day.


| 12 | DECEmbEr 2011/ january 2012 belle

by Karen newtonFrenzy frames the holiday with art, music and shopping.

I know you’re probably thinking that the last thing you need at this time of year is more stuff to do, but hear me out. what better time than the frenzied holidays to make room in your schedule to do things just for you? If some of them bolster your holiday mood, all the better.

Wrapped in feel-good spending: one of my least favorite things to do is shop, but it’s inescapable at this time of year. and if you’re going to be spending money anyway, why not put it toward local artisans and a good cause? the Gallery5 holiday market is Dec. 3 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. expect to find home decor items, accessories and clothing,

bath and body products, prints and small-scale art. In addition to crafts and hand-made goods, there will be locally made food and drink to sustain you.

but unlike mall shopping, you’ll be in a gallery, which means two things. First, there will be craft-focused workshops, like snow-globe making ($3 and all supplies provided) to offer you a creative outlet. but more impor-tantly, all vendors will donate a portion of their sales profit to Gallery5, so you’re not just getting shopping done, you’re helping support a local gallery. Can’t you just hear the chorus of angels? gallery5arts.org.

Vamping with Liz: For a complete escape from the holiday madness, spend a day in an-cient egypt. the Virginia Museum of Fine arts will screen the epic to end all epics, “Cleopatra,” on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 10:30 a.m. oh yes, this is the 1963 version that al-most bankrupted the studio while elizabeth taylor and richard burton carried on their white-hot affair both on- and off-screen. to make a good thing even better, before the screening, designer and author Cathy whitlock will discuss the art direction and be-hind-the-scenes juicy gossip that whetted the public’s appetite for the film. believe me, you’ll forget all about the outside world while watching this one. vmfa.museum.

Houses tied up with strings: For a lot of people, there’s an enormous letdown after Christmas Day. ward that off by joining the Holiday Glitter: Monument avenue

after Dark tour at 6 p.m. on Dec. 27, sponsored by the Valentine richmond His-tory Center. It’s a great change of pace to plan an outdoor activity in late

December. Dress warmly and bring a flashlight, although the wattage from some of those big houses will surely drown out your little bulb. For-

get about tacky lights and focus on just how beautiful a one-of-a-kind house can be when decorated with an unlimited budget. then think about that electric bill and be glad it’s not yours. richmondhistorycen-ter.com/calendar/holiday-glitter-27.

afterward, head east on Monument until it turns into Franklin and make a stop at Lemaire. the Jefferson Hotel’s Christmas tree still will be up, but the crowds will be gone. and it’s a great place for a hot toddy or sparkling poinsettia cocktail to cap the evening.

A silent start with music: then, boom, it’s January. once you re-cover from your holiday hangover, consider something completely different. Head to the Modlin Center for an afternoon of music and film Jan. 29 at 3 p.m. the Hot Club of San Francisco will perform Cinema Vivant, a show of vintage silent films accompanied by live gypsy swing music.

the band matches every movement on screen with passionate strings and humorous sounds for an experience reminiscent of the time when traveling gypsy caravans pulled up in small vil-lages with film projectors and showed silent films on the side of a barn while they played. you won’t be sitting on straw, but it still should be a magical afternoon. modlin.richmond.edu/events.

and if it’s all too much during this busiest of times, hang on. February will have plenty to off er too.

Karen Newton blogs about almost everything she does at icouldgoonandon.blogspot.com.

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Gallery5’s holiday market is Dec. 3

Holidays after Dark shows off monument avenue

The Hot Club of San Francisco performs at the modlin

Cleopatra made famous by Elizabeth Taylor

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

now that my son has begun to success-fully navigate the world of public edu-cation, I’m grappling with the idea of introducing him to a religious one. I have my own spiritual connection with

the world around me and I pray constantly: Dear God! Thank God! God Dammit! And my favorite, Thank God Dammit! I love folklore and myths and stories and some of the most interesting are found in the Bible — Old Testament or New. But must we leave the gates of our own Garden of Eden for him to gain knowledge about God?

My son, like me, is Jewish because his mother is. And like me, he has more than Jewish blood running through his veins. I’m not sure if the fact that I’ve never dated Jewish men is because of random chance or the Jewish cotillion I attended in middle school — where none of my dance part-ners reached my chin. But like my mom, I married a goy. Whoever and whatever my son chooses for himself as an adult is fine with me. But for now I’m as hesitant to thrust him into the world of religion as I’d be to force him to visit just one booth on career day. I think it’s perfectly fine for a person still missing his two front teeth to aspire to be a wildlife biologist, organic farmer and bowling al-ley repairman in equal measure. And I’m just as

hesitant to make him choose a single path to God. As much as I want to spare him the dogma, how-

ever, I worry that he might miss some character building. My mother and I attended a New Age church until I hit puberty, when I suddenly found myself at synagogue wearing a Star of David. My first Sunday school teacher, a guard at a juvenile detention center, seemed to derive real pleasure from explaining, in great detail, the labor pains of childbirth. Our teacher the following year re-galed us with horror stories about the Holocaust. My next and last teacher dedicated the entire year to suicide prevention, which, in retrospect, prob-ably was a good idea, but not much fun. And I don’t recall our rabbi — other than teaching me the He-brew alphabet — discussing anything other than the political and socio-economic details of the war in the Middle East.

All of which made the trappings of Christian-ity on my father’s side pretty tempting. She never said it, but I had the feeling my grandma wanted me saved, not to be a better living girl, but a better dead one. The trilogy of romantic adventure Jews-for-Jesus books she’d given me when I was 12 were successful as page-turners, but not as missionaries. By then I was already studying for my bat mitzvah and couldn’t squeeze Jesus into any picture other

than the fluorescent velvet one I later bought to hang on my dorm room wall. But I always felt a little jeal-ous of my grandma’s certainty about salvation, not to mention the endless abundance of lemonade and sugar cookies her church handed out like blessings.

When my grandma died and bequeathed me, her only Jewish grandchild, the golden cruci-fix she’d worn for as long as I’d known her, I was touched. I tried to put it around my neck but found that I couldn’t wear it any more than I could belt out the hymns at the Gospel Chicken House where my father took me once, on a whim. There, the hootin’, hollerin’, foot-stompin’ good time was almost enough to make me run and dunk myself in the river. But not quite.

And this year as the holidays approach, I feel less of a need than ever to shake who I am. I struggle with routine, so Hanukkah is eight times more dif-ficult to celebrate than Christmas, but once again we’ll do it all. And though I don’t really think my son needs anyone to tell him what to believe, it’s likely I’ll pass on my almost supernatural love of New Year’s Eve, when the hope for reinvention and the promise of a clean slate — if only on my calendar — seems just as miraculous as the resurrection.

Follow Valley Haggard online at valleyhaggard.com.

Believe You MeDoes faith come through my Dna?

BY VALLEY HAGGARD

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Dear Belle,I have this co-worker who butts into every con-

versation in the office, whether or not she has something relevant to say. No matter the subject, she manages to bring the focus to herself. She corners colleagues and tells them every detail of what’s going on in her life and the lives of people she knows — even when we don’t know those peo-ple from Adam! There’s no end to it, and I’ve had enough.

Dear cornereD,Your co-worker could be described as a black

hole of emotional need. While she does sound so-ciable, she’s incredibly self-focused. If you were kids on the playground, the solution would be natural — ignore her! Alas, in today’s work environ-ment of team building, that won’t fly.

In therapy land we have a technique with a fan-cy name: a paradoxical intervention. More simply, you’re gonna have to go a little high school on her. First, enlist the support of someone popular at work. Then, confide to Black Hole that you need her help drawing out some shy colleagues and helping them feel included. Explain that you, she and this popular co-worker are going to do lots of active listening. Then explain what active listen-ing is because she doesn’t know from active lis-tening: You will ask questions, listen quietly with good eye contact, summarize your colleagues’ re-

plies, and invite them to say more. Then invite the shyest or newest workers to lunch and get to it.

This approach should improve Black Hole’s so-cial skills. But when her symptoms flare, don’t be afraid to use the playground prescription, aka nat-ural consequences: Ignore her. She’ll soon figure out which behavior gets her what she wants.

Dear Belle:My husband, “Barney,” and I see our friends

“Fred” and “Wilma” every New Year’s Eve. Though they’ve moved, they visit other friends and family for the holidays, so it’s easy for them to celebrate New Year’s with us. Problem is they have to stay for quite a few days, which drives Barney crazy.

Wilma and I disappear into our old friendship, but Fred and Barney don’t have much in common, and Barney is at loose ends the whole time. One time they stayed a week. Besides that, the dog pooped at the front door and Barney just gets in a mood when they’re here.

New Year’s is around the corner. How do I tell Wilma that we would love to see them but don’t want them to stay here for more than, say, three days?

Wilma is my dearest friend. Our 30-year friend-ship has weathered divorce, remarriage and now geography. I don’t want to miss my yearly chance to reconnect with her, but I’m stumped on how to keep everybody happy.

Dear Betty,You’re going to jeopardize a 30-year friendship

because Barney can’t be nice for seven days? Your moody Stone Age guy needs to put on his big boy Elk Lodge hat and be more generous to his obvi-ously generous wife.

OK, maybe Fred is a little tough for a whole week. But I’m just not feeling Barney’s pouting or your babying him. You and Barney need to go out to a nice dinner with the libations of your choice and have some tenderness and fun with each other while brainstorming solutions and compromises.

For example, are there some activities that Bar-ney could take Fred to — perhaps with some other members of the lodge — that Barney also would en-joy? A poker game? A beer tasting?

Also, why only a yearly visit with your friend? Maybe a shorter New Year’s visit and later a trip just for Betty and Wilma? Good luck, have fun, love each other, and next time open the door for the dog when he needs to go out.

– Produced by Holly Timberline

Send your relationship dilemmas to [email protected].

Mind GamesHow do you get a co-worker and a pouty husband to shut up?

BODY & SOUL

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY jOeL SmITH

The AdviserThis month’s advice comes from Laura Sabatini, a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist and life coach. Learn more at laurasabatini.com or call her Carytown office at 355-6223.

| 16 | DECEmbEr 2011/JANUArY 2012 belle

body & soul f i t n e s s

Train Your BrainBY Julie Geen

Thinking through your workout involves the right images.

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Dana Blackmer has a kind manner and comfort-able chairs like any other therapist. But instead of discussing your childhood or your marriage with him, you might tell him about how you go

into a shame spiral after you make a mistake on the ten-nis court and your whole game unravels.

Blackmer counsels athletes, with a doctorate in psy-chology and certification from the Association for Ap-plied Sport Psychology. His clients are as varied as high-school students who want to make the varsity and Olympians.

“The majority of people come in because they have identified something that they feel is holding them back from performing their best,” the sports psychologist says. “i help athletes of all ages and all abilities to train their brains to perform at the peak of their sport.”

it turns out that a lot of it really is in your head. “There have been surveys done with coaches,” Blackmer says, “and most coaches believe that mental factors account for between 50 to 80 percent of the outcome in a competi-tion against an opponent of equal ability.”

Blackmer works with his clients to increase their self-awareness and identify their best mental zones. Then he teaches them the tools they can use to regulate them-selves and reach those zones. “it’s individually tailored to each athlete,” he says. “The false impression you can get is that this is kind of a cookbook.”

The final step is practice. “The biggest problem with this,” Blackmer says, “is that is sounds so deceptively simple that people don’t practice. Just like the physical part of sport, you have to practice this mental part. You have to make it automated.”

i ask him for help with motivation. Blackmer’s first sug-gestion is goal setting. “Most people know the outcome they want,” he says, “but they neglect the steps to get

them there. You can see that everyone is in the gym in January but they’re out by February.”

Breaking down what you need to do is crucial. He tells me to write down the steps, keep track of my progress and to make it public. “i tell people to stick them on the refrigera-tor,” he says. i know he’s onto something by the deep horror i feel at the thought of my husband’s perusing my training schedule while he pulls out the milk for his cereal.

Blackmer also suggests finding a compelling emotional reason to pursue your goal.” if you are doing it for vague reasons,” he says, “or because your doctor told you to, it will get things off the ground. But unless you are doing it for your own reasons, it’s hard to sustain.” What i come up with is that i want to feel strong and powerful in my body. He encourages me to make my own personal highlight reel of times in my life when i have felt this.

Then i do what i always do in a therapist’s office. i tell him a deep, dark secret: When i am on the treadmill in a cute running skirt with my bubble-gum, death-metal Mar-ilyn Manson pumping into my head, i feel like a world-class athlete running a marathon. To my surprise, he says this is excellent and i should do it more. “We think it’s fool-ish and childish, but this stuff works,” he says. “it really does motivate you and fire you up.” For the first time, i’m allowed a delusion in a therapist’s office. Only he calls this process “imagery and mental-skills training.”

His last suggestion is to rethink my concept of an athlete.“Can it be a person who is into health and wellness and

regular physical activity to improve their life?” he asks.“Could that really be a definition of an athlete?” i ask.“That’s for you to decide,” he says.Suddenly, sports psychology feels very familiar after all.

Dana Blackmer offers tips on training and improving performance at theextragear.com or by calling 754-8439.

1. recall as many images as you can that connect you to your passion for your sport. They might include imag-es of your best performance, an ath-lete you admire, or envisioning your-self as something powerful and fast.

2. Imagine every detail, using all of your senses, including what you hear, how your body feels and what you’re thinking and feeling.

3. Think of the situations in your sport when you need to fire up and get motivated. These will be the situ-ations where you’ll use your imagery.

4. Practice running your imagery through your head three to five times, one or two times a day. This is a skill you need to build, so practice it in a quiet place.

5. Use your imagery when you start feeling tired, bored or unmotivated during your practice or workouts. When it becomes second nature during practice, you’re ready to use it in competition when you need to psych up the most.

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Hope Ginsburg believes we’re a social species. As an assistant professor of art foundation at Virginia Commonwealth University, her project “Sponge” is head-

quartered on the top floor of the university’s An-derson Gallery. There, she explores all things social through a productive beehive, felt making and the endless exchange of information. Her en-thusiasm for it all is contagious.

Belle: What is Sponge HQ?Ginsburg: It’s the intersection of teaching and art.

I’m an artist and a professor, and my background is in performance and sculpture. With art and teaching, I’m interested in disciplines and ideas slamming up against each other. What happens when hierarchies are scrambled? I can keep bees and keep worms. I can be around people who are passionate about what they know, be around experts and learners. The Sponge project began in 2007 as a biological metaphor for sea sponges — with objects, workshops and classes making for a fluid flow of fields of inquiry, like a sea sponge. I love learning new things. I will learn to scuba dive soon.

How did you get involved in felt making?I was always attracted to textiles. They’re an

incredible way of expressing color. And felt is

the oldest textile. It has a history that’s ancient. I worked for eight and a half years in the textile industry doing environmental product research. It’s a fascinating technology. Because of the relative simplicity of fabrics, they can be at the forefront of technological research.

How did you end up with a beehive?The bees were almost a point of origin. I did a

three-year project with honeybees, working with beekeepers so I could perform as a bee-bearded lady. I had access to people who were knowledgeable about specific things, so we could learn and exchange information. Boundaries collapsed and it became a social activity. Bees are a metaphor for this kind of activity.

What do you like to do in your time off?I like to be in motion. I go on field trips, I go to

museums. I read interior design magazines. I hang with my friends, family and cats. I go places where I can fill my eyes with new things. And I like to eat. A lot.

What’s the best thing about Richmond?The people. The slower pace, so there’s more time

to take a breath. But I totally thrive in big cities; I grew up in Philadelphia. I am encouraged when I see the progressive sides of this city. I’m excited

when I see diversity in terms of belief systems, ethnicities and race.

How do you celebrate the holidays?I’ll go to my boyfriend, Josh Quarles’ house for

Christmas. He’s a musician in Jonathan Vassar and the Speckled Bird and Homemade Knives. My family is in Boca Raton, [Fla.], so we’ll light a Hanukkah candle over the phone.

What do you wish you had more time for?I’d like to grow the Sponge project and get more

image archives on the blog and build new areas of space. I wish I had time to get a degree in biology and a master’s in social work. I wish I had time to do yoga three times a week. And read more. I read a lot because of the work I do, so I wish I could read more magical realism. I wish I had time to sing show tunes.

What’s your favorite show?“Company.”

Any New Year’s resolutions?I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. I try to

do better every day.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?Traveling back and forth between a farm with

sheep and an apartment with a view of the East River.

Absorbing It AllHope Ginsburg searches out the social connections in life. BY KAREN NEWToN

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personalities p r o f i l e


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Bring on the bling for your holiday parties.

SParKLESilver sequin dress by Maggie Sottero ($219) at Lex’s of Carytown; tan mohair cardigan by Cheap Monday ($125) and gold leopard socks ($8) at Urban Outfitters; gray lace socks ($4) at Forever 21; black lace-up ankle boots by Steve Madden ($99) at Saxon; black satin quilted clutch by Chanel ($980) at It’s Chic Again; glitter dinosaur brooch ($2) at Diversity 2 Thrift Shop; Atlas wide bangle in sterling silver ($1,500), Atlas open ring in 18-karat white gold with three round brilliant diamonds ($1,500), Tiffany 1837 link bracelet of sterling silver and titanium in midnight ($750) and men’s identifica-tion bracelet in sterling silver ($450) at Tiffany & Co.; 18-karat rose and white gold figure-8, pavé .67-carat diamond ring ($2,200), 14-karat white gold cluster ring with invisible setting holding 2.50 ($3,800) 14-karat, 1.44 carat diamond earrings in white gold ($4,000) at Diamond Concepts.

anDSHInE



Fashion cues f e a t u r e

FAShIOn eDITOr: Lauren healy

PhOTOGrAPher: Scott elmquist

CreATIve DIreCTOr: ed harrington

FAShIOn ASSISTAnT: Kelsey Sykes

MAKeUP: Jonye Cordova of JonyegirlFaces

hAIr: Maya rickards, Spa310, Carytown; Morgan Dettmer, assistant

MODeL: rachel Albright

LOCATIOn: The roosevelt in Church hill

Multistripe bustier by Staring at Stars ($54) at Urban Outfitters; vintage black fancy fanny pack ($40) at Blue Bones vintage for need Supply Co.; black leather skirt by Parker ($286) at Saks Fifth Avenue; 1940s gold-fill vintage watch ($42) from Old Timey Watches; black and gold pony hair peep-toe pump by rebecca Minkoff ($295) at Pink; mesh scarf earrings in 18-karat gold by elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. ($1,650), Tiffany Somerset bracelet in 18-karat gold with diamonds ($6,500), Tiffany Somer-set ring in 18-karat gold ($1,850) at Tiffany & Co.; 18-karat yellow gold 18-inch open loop style chain ($1,200) at Diamond Concepts.



retro-inspired red party dress by BB Dakota ($96) at need Supply Co.; carnival glitter party shoes ($275) at Pink; two-toned multicolored 18-karat diamond cuff bracelet, genuine coral, sapphires, rubies, lapis, jade, turquoise and diamonds with a 14 mm white South Sea pearl ($70,000) at Diamond Concepts.



Fashion cues f e a t u r eBordeaux vintage rabbit fur jacket ($120) and gold bird party belt ($36) for Blue Bones vintage at need Sup-ply Co.; pink strapless party dress by Sheshanna ($396) at Levys; peep-toe gold glit-ter party shoe ($59) at Lex’s of Carytown; 18-karat egg necklace on 18-inch yellow gold chain ($5,000), at Dia-mond Concepts; mesh scarf earrings in 18k gold by elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.



emerald silk and sequin top ($38), emerald silk skirt by Carlisle part of set ($158) at It’s Chic Again; Strange Italian white ski jacket ($65) at verve in the Shops at 5807; red bow hosiery ($7) at Forever 21; forest patent pump by Chinese Laundry ($69) at Saxon; Tiffany Som-erset bracelet in 18-karat gold with diamonds ($6,500) at Tiffany and Co.; ring 18.53 carats surrounded with 2 carats of diamonds ($82,500) at Diamond Concepts.



Fashion cues f e a t u r e

Champagne convert-ible skirt dress by Twelfth Street by

Cynthia vincent ($310) at Pink; lace top by

Pins and needles ($59) at Urban Outfitters;

Tiffany Metro five-row ring in 18-karat white

gold with diamonds ($5,500) at Tiffany & Co.; 18-karat Queen

victoria-style diamond necklace ($75,000), 18-karat two-toned

yellow and white gold pavé diamond

ring ($7,900), 18-karat two-toned yellow

and white gold tear drop style bracelet

4.47cts ($13,080), 30-carat sapphire and

1.5-carat diamond bracelet in 18-karat

white gold ($29,000) at Diamond Concepts.

Diversity Thrift 22219 W. Main St.562-4143Diamond ConceptsRegency Square1404 N. Parham Road740-0436Chesterfield Towne Center11500 Midlothian Turnpike423-4367Forever 21Regency Square1404 N. Parham Road740-4456forever21.comIt’s Chic Again1225 Sycamore SquareMidlothian 23113897-2442Itschicagain.comLevys5807 Grove Ave.673-0177Lex’s of Carytown3020 W. Cary St.355-5425lexsofcarytown.comneed Supply Co.3010 W. Cary St.355-5880needsupply.comOld Timey Watchesetsy.com/shop/Old-TimeyWatchesPink3158 W. Cary St.358-0884pinkstore.comSaks Fifth AvenueStony Point Fashion Park9214 Stony Point Parkway320-6960saks.comSaxonShort Pump Town Center11800 W. Broad St.No. 2750285-3473saxonshoes.comShops at 58075807 Patterson Ave.288-5807shops5807.comTiffany & Co.Stony Point Fashion Park9200 Stony Point Parkway320-1864tiffany.comUrban OutfittersShort Pump Town Center11805 W. Broad St.No. 1790364-5216urbanoutfitters.comThe roosevelt 623 N. 25th St.658-1935rooseveltrva.com

Where to Find:


aGEnC o m p i l e d b y Julie Geen, Hilary lanGford

and elizabetH Jewett

Christmas throwbaCktraditional holiday music isn’t for everyone, but it’s often inescapable. rather than being the Grinch, offer to play a few tracks by charming duo She and Him at your family affair or office party. m. ward and zooey deschanel have put their ultra hip, throwback spin on classics such as “blue Christ-mas” and “rockin’ around the Christ-mas tree” that will put a kick in your step while you deck the halls. a por-tion of all proceeds from “a Very She & Him Christmas” (merge records) goes to 826 national, a nonprofit dedi-cated to proliferation of children’s creative writing. — h.L.

Who’s the Fairest?what better play to ring

in the 100th birthday of

the empire theatre than

the set-in-1911 “my fair

lady”? Celebrate the

barksdale’s fresh take on

the classic musical, shown

here in rehearsal, through

Jan. 8. tickets are $48

with student and senior

discounts available. barks-

dalerichmond.org. — E.j.

Holiday Sugarwhen it comes to amy Grant and Vince Gill, the couple that sings together stays together. the duo brings their 12 Days of Christmas tour to the Landmark theater on Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. tickets start at $47.50. landmarktheater.net. — E.j.

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GEnDa Dec

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maker’s barkwile away a long winter’s night practicing amigurumi — the japanese art of crocheting anthropomorphic creatures. in “ami ami Dogs, more seri-ously Cute Crochet,” author mitsuki hoshi illustrates how to make purely adorable wee dogs of all breeds into toys, cell-phone accessories and magnets. Like a boston terrier needs to be any cuter. (harper Design, $14.99) — j.G.

love unravels“the still Point” weaves a sin-gle, lush, English summer day with a Victorian explorer’s doomed arctic expedition in this story of threadbare family myths and an unrav-eling marriage. in her first novel, author amy sackville creates a compelling journey through icy landscapes and human hearts with beautiful prose, emotional intelligence and graceful storytelling. (Counterpoint, $25) — j.G.

Florence welch has an all-consuming voice that swells and crashes with blistering emo-tion, always taking the listener on a beautiful, wild ride. Florence and the machine’s sophomore effort, “Ceremonials” (universal), tosses aside any assumptions of a second-album curse like a defeated opponent. the singer and her mighty players weave delicate melodies with dramatic choruses and never cease to entertain the imagination. — h.L.

two timer

Peer Groupif you’re one broken light string

away from pulling a Clark Griswold,

take heart. at the 49th annual fan

Holiday House tour, you can enjoy

all the beauty of holiday decorations

without any of the work. the tour

is dec. 10 and 11, 1-5 p.m. each day.

tickets are $25 in advance, $30 on

the day of the tour. fandistrict.org.

— E.j. SC

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belle DECEmbEr 2011/January 2012 | 29 |scott elmquist photo

It. Is. Everywhere. From Acacia to Secco, pork belly seems to

be Richmond’s current culinary obsession. Chefs are grilling, roasting, frying and

braising those quivering layers of fat-meat perfection — and diners are devouring it.

As close as we are to Smithfield Foods, the largest pork company in the United States, we sure took a long time to hitch our wagon to the nation’s pork-belly craze, started in 2003 by David Chang’s New York City ramen shop, Momofuku. Of course, you might argue that Richmond was never behind the trend. Our polite society has been consuming pork belly all along. We just call it bacon.

Bacon, or outside this country what’s known as streaky bacon, indeed is pork belly that’s been cured, sliced into thin strips — even thick bacon still is thinly sliced, in my opinion — and cooked to delicious crisps. Bacon has been used for ages to add smoky flavors, whether subtly as in braised collards or co-starring as in bacon-wrapped scallops.

Pork belly, or fresh bacon, is a blank slate for culinary achievements. Cooks go hog-wild being creative with this succulent piece. But the belly presents an exciting challenge to cooks, too: It’s a tough, long piece of muscle despite the abundance of fat.

Pork belly requires long, slow cooking to render the fat and tenderize the meat, whether in its own melted and savory fat, or in flavor-ful stock, wine or aromatic sauce. While the fat globules melt, they bathe, cook and col-lapse the fat cells to a soft, velvety texture, devoid of the fat itself. The skin softens, too, but this sheath of protein won’t melt, keeping the whole layers of belly underneath it intact.

That’s right, skin isn’t fat, it’s protein, so crack-ling is healthy, um … yeah. Think of the oil ab-sorbed during the frying process. In modera-tion, people. In moderation.

Pork belly is seasoned and cooked as a slab or cut into 2-inch squares in the traditional Chinese method of red cooking pork. The recipe here is from my childhood: babi ke-cap — pork belly braised in Indonesian sweet soy sauce, an adaptation of the famed Dongpo pork. Resourceful Chinese cooks in Java, in-cluding my grandmother who emigrated in the 1930s from China’s Fujian Province, sub-stituted local sweet soy sauce for the lack of Xiao Shing wine and rock sugar.

If cooked as a slab of belly, the slippery soft, finished product usually is sliced a quarter inch or more thick. It’s served with whatever the cook fancies.

On its rotating menus, Acacia has served a crispy belly appetizer with an Asian flair with seaweed salad, shiitake mushrooms and balsamic teriyaki glaze. Comfort sandwiched its braised belly as sliders. Can Can grilled it, serving it with creamed corn, cranberry beans and pan jus. The Roosevelt braised the belly and paired it with jalapeno grits and red gravy. On Ejay Rin’s lunch and dinner menus, steamed pork buns whetted the appetite while diners waited for more pork belly in the pork ramen. Of course, Asian restaurants have been offering authentic pork belly dishes for years. Among the best specimens are King of Szechuan’s twice-cooked pork, China Star’s fresh bacon with celery and garlic sauce, and Korean Garden’s delectable barbecue.

Well, what are you waiting for? It’s dinner-time somewhere. Fill up your belly.

Where to buy Pork bellyTo cook it yourself, check out the asian or Latino markets near you. recent prices are around $2.50 per pound. Local farmers also sell organic or natural pork belly at various farmers’ markets. It costs around $7.50 per pound.

1. Tan-a Super market (West broad Street and Horsepen road), in the fresh meat “butchery” toward the back of the store. Cash or check only.

2. bodega Latina (various locations, call for availability).

3. ault’s Family Farm. aultsfamilyfarm.com.

4. Faith Farms, byrd House market, Tuesdays 3:30-6 p.m.

make It BaBi Kecap pork belly in sweet soy sauce Serves FourThis dish is on the sweet side, maybe unusual for the American palate. You will need a pan with a tight-fitting lid.

ingredients:

1 quart boiling water

1 pound pork belly, with the skin on, cut into 8 square pieces

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch slices

3 pieces star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1 cup Indonesian sweet soy sauce (Tan-a Super market, abC brand), or 1 cup soy and a half cup of sugar (but you will miss the caramel taste)

1 cup water

directions:

1. To remove impurities and any smell on the pork skin, place pork squares in a colander, put that in the sink and pour the boiling water slowly over the pork.

2. In a braising pan or pot large enough to accommodate all meat without crowding, or in a slow cooker, combine all of the ingredients except the pork, and bring to a slow boil. Stir to mix everything.

3. Carefully add the pork squares, skin down, into the sauce. The sauce should come up to about the top quarter of the pork. If not, add half-soy and half-water mixture.

4. adjust the heat to low, cover the pan and let the pork simmer away for about 3 hours. Set a kitchen timer for every hour to check the sauce level. as the fat melts, the sauce and fat will cover the pork pieces. add more soy and water mixture any time the sauce reduces to less than half the meat thickness.

5. When finished, carefully remove the pork pieces using a slotted spoon. Skim the fat from the sauce. The sauce can be further reduced to 2 cups (if you had to add water frequently during cooking process).

6. Serve the pork with steamed rice and veggies.

Educated

Guest Pork belly is on your lips.BY EllIE BASCh

An


first person

photo illustration by joel smith

I am, once again, in Commerce City. Although I lived my first 27 years in Denver, whenever I needed to go downtown I would somehow get sucked into this labyrinth of smokestacks and industrial buildings surrounded by ponds of thick, steel-colored water. It doesn’t matter where I want to go,

this is where I always end up.In my purse is a checkbook, teetering, unbalanced, with checks ricochet-

ing all over town. I sincerely try to balance it, but the numbers are slippery and never add up the same way twice. According to my watch, I’m already late for my appointment. Which comes as a terrible shock because last I knew, I had an ample block of time that seems to have simply dissolved.

I need to go north, and I pull over to take a look at the mountains, which are always west. This I know. While I look at the mountains, I grope around for which way might be north. A wheel spins in my head, and even my hands — which I try to use like a needle on a compass — refuse to stay left or right. They’re just hands. One of them might be a little dominant.

That night, at my job as a retail manager in a clothing shop in the mall, I struggle when a customer demands that I count out her change instead of what I normally get away with, which is dumping whatever the register sug-gests into the waiting hand with a nice big smile.

“OK, it was $52.82 and you gave me $60? So, uh….” I hide my fingers under-neath the register to do some counting. “Three cents brings us to 85 cents and then you get this dime and … hmmm.” The customer walks away with her change, eventually, and a tight-lipped what-is-this-country-coming-to look on her face.

So many people tried to help me throughout my life. My father sat with me

night after night with flash cards, trying to drill basic addition into my little head. My math teacher in seventh grade was a kind man, passionate about his job. He spent extra time bent over my desk explaining concepts to me, his eyes igniting when I finally understood something. But at night, while I slept, all gains made during the day were simply wiped away. Every day was a brand new day. A brand new “I Love Lucy” clown day.

Many years passed, and eventually I learned to cope. Now, instead of try-ing to think when I hit one of the boggy spots in my mind, I go limp. I breathe through rising panic and if I’m driving, now in a Richmond that’s still brand new to me after eight years, I turn right when I am 100 percent certain I should turn left. Right is wrong when dealing with my brain. I know that I’ll step out of a store in the mall and go the wrong direction. I’ll also lose my car and spend too much money. I don’t let it bother me.

Finally, a few months ago, I learned the term for exactly what is wrong with me. Dyscalculia is a learning disorder that includes difficulties with math, money, time, directions, dance-step sequences and mistaken recollection of names.

Now I know why I head for the bathroom when it’s time to do the electric slide at weddings and why I call a good friend’s daughter Sophie, when her name is Sadie, every damn time since she was born four years ago.

The world of math, supposedly concrete and infallible, is slippery to me. What’s real are words and the images my mind connects into endless, effort-less stories, unfettered by time, space, money and numbers. It’s not so bad, as long as you aren’t married to me.

By JuLIE gEEN

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maestro collection

Belle Dec. 2011/Jan. 2012

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