

Marcel Desaulniers, the best-read most retired Guru of Ganache
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


Why "Moonshadow"?
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


A New Life, A New Web Site
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