Chocolate Strawberries & Notes From a Day Trip

A January reset: a little shopping, hot soup, and taking the long way home.

If you happen to spot ruby-red strawberries in the dead of winter, just buy them and don’t look back.

That’s what happened to me the other day, and I was surprised by their deep, ripe color and firm, bright skin when I spotted them at the grocery store. Even more surprising was how great they tasted considering it’s the end of January, when most produce is weary-looking.

I brought a container home, placed them in a large bowl of cold water along with a generous glug of white vinegar, and let them sit for 5 minutes–a hack I learned on the Internet that seems to work–then rinsed them and set them on a clean towel to dry.

Thankfully, I happened to have a sizable block of Belgian dark chocolate from Trader Joe’s on hand, which I chopped into small pieces and combined with a handful of Guittard milk chocolate chips for good measure.

If you’ve never tried this combination, please do—seriously, it’s the best of both worlds and so good.

I melted the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl set over a medium saucepan with a couple of inches of gently simmering water, making sure the water didn’t touch the bottom of the bowl.

To make your own, gently hold the strawberries by the stem and give them a good dunk in melted chocolate, then set them on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.

Place them in the refrigerator—or another cool spot—to fully set, and know they’re best enjoyed the same day.

I can’t tell you how happy it made me to bite into a strawberry that was juicy and dark red all the way through, dripping with warm chocolate.

Like many others, I started off the new year with a small eating reset.

I’m fairly sure it was the many pieces of pumpkin pie—alas, thinly slivered and relentlessly slathered with whipped cream—along with extra helpings of mashed potatoes that did me in. I felt it everywhere.

So I went on a brief bender of green salads topped with crispy edamame, shaved Parmesan, and a lemony vinaigrette, along with bowls of plain yogurt finished with a generous shake of cinnamon, fresh blueberries, and salted pistachios. Celery juice, mugs of decaf green tea, and a very nice pear rounded things out.

After a few days of eating like this, I felt much better—ready to leave the house for a day trip that sounded fun and required no planning or list-making.

Unlike much of the country, the West has been enjoying uncharacteristically gorgeous, spring-like weather, so I took the whole day off and hit the road for a little shopping, lunch, and general wandering.

After weeks of feeling cooped up, it felt good to be out and about, discovering a few new shops and places to eat.

I picked up some watercolor supplies by Emily Lex that I’m excited to try, then promptly felt like I’d won the lottery after finding three cookbooks I’d been wanting—but didn’t own—at a used bookstore.

I took my sweet time all day, because I could. I highly recommend this, if you can swing it.

I stopped to visit with these horses along the way, who were clearly on a lunch break and not interested in small talk.

Which sounded like a good idea to me, too.

I finished the day with a warm mug of tomato soup and a pine nut cookie from the Italian deli across the street—a solid plan, and a very nice day.

A now, a few recent favorites, for your consideration.

What I’m Reading and Watching These Days

• I only watch TV at night, and not much of it. Lately, that has meant nothing but Homeland on Netflix. I’ve watched absolutely nothing else since mid-December, and now that I’m deep into Season 5, there’s no turning back. I haven’t been this invested since Nurse Jackie. If you like The Diplomat and sharp, complicated female characters, this one earns the eight-season commitment.

• Meditations for Mortals: Recommended to me, and full of smart, practical ideas for thinking about and structuring your time. Well worth it.

• The Book of Awakening: This book has devoted fans across the board, so I finally picked it up. So far, I understand the appeal.

• Christie Brinkley, Uptown Girl: As someone who read every issue of Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and Mademoiselle cover to cover for many years, I didn’t really have a choice here. I just love a juicy biography and this is light, easy, and goes down like cake.

• Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes: I will buy anything by Jessie Sheehan, forever and without hesitation. She’s the queen of smart baking ideas, and creates recipes that really work.

• Martha, The Cookbook 100 Favorite Recipes: The latest, from someone I love and already own plenty of books by. This one pulls together 100 of her favorites, with personal stories woven throughout. A fun read, and plenty of recipes worth making.

I appreciate you being here! I’ll be back next week with a new recipe—feel free to subscribe or share this post with a friend.