Ingredients
1 pint strawberries
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
Blender
Fine-meshed strainer

Process
1. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.

2. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve (chinois).

3. Chill until ready to serve. Can be made a day in advance.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Ingredients
1 pint strawberries (stem-berries, so called because they are picked with long stems attached, are great for this.)
8 ounces good quality dark chocolate
A tray lined with parchment paper

Process
1. Wash and pat dry your strawberries. Make sure that no water remains.

2. Melt some good quality dark chocolate over a double-boiler.

3. Line a tray with parchment paper.

4. Dip each strawberry in the chocolate, a little over halfway up. Set on tray.

5. Refrigerate for an hour, until chocolate has hardened.

Chocolate leaves: Easy, showy, and tasty
Ingredients
4 ounces good quality dark chocolate
A tray lined with parchment paper

Process
1. Wash and pat dry some camellia leaves, or other leathery leaves from a plant that is not poisonous and has not been sprayed by chemicals.

2. Melt some good quality dark chocolate over a double-boiler.

3. Line a tray with parchment paper.

4. Brush the underside of each leaf with melted chocolate. Set on tray, chocolate side up.

5. Refrigerate for an hour, until chocolate has hardened.

6. Gently peel the leaf off the chocolate.

7. Use as garnish on cakes and other desserts.