Marcel has always loved what he does - whether it is orchestrating food for a world-class restaurant, writing cookbooks, or running a chocolate cafe'. You could say the same thing about his retirement. After being in the restaurant business for 55 years, starting as a 15-year-old dishwasher at a supper club (the only break being his service in the Marines during the Vietnam War), he deserves to take it easy. A history buff, Marcel has read 15 books since we sold MAD about C

I've always been mesmerized by the moon. It's like a hole in the sky where you can peek through and see the mysteries on the other side. The moon inspired this painting, called "Moonlight Becomes You: And so did the eponymous song made famous by Ella Fitzgerald and others: Although Cat Stevens' song "Moonshadow" has a cheerful melody, it is not only about the magic of the moon. It is about resilience and making the most of challenges. The song always gets in my head when

In January 2016, Marcel and I closed our beloved cafe', MAD about Chocolate, and sold it to restaurateur Mike Riordan, so Marcel could retire. Does this look like a man who wants to retire? Well, yes. As for me, after working MADly for 14 hours a day, 7 days a week (and loving it), the last thing I wanted to do was stop my shark-like ways. The first thing I wanted to do was spend more time creating my lifelong passion: art. During the MAD about Chocolate Days, I hadn't exa