Maribel Lieberman's passion has taken her to places she's never imagined. The successful woman was born in Honduras and today is one of the great figures when it comes to chocolate. When she was 17 years old, Maribel left her hometown of Jutiquele for New York, hoping to study fashion at Parsons School of Design. Her love and skill for cooking took her elsewhere.
Maribel's culinary passion didn't appear overnight. Since the age of eight, Maribel was known by her friends as an entrepreneur, selling sweets in school that she had prepared for herself. As the years passed, Maribel continued to put together different food experiences, including serving the South African President Nelson Mandela.
"Nothing is easy, but there's more satisfaction in what's difficult. It's very important to continue to innovate, and to not sit down and think 'I made it.'"
Despite her skills when preparing savory dishes and hosting the perfect event, Maribel's true passion lay in the art of the dessert, especially chocolate, one of the most complex and temperamental ingredients.
Following her move to New York, Maribel formed her cooking business called Maribel's Gourmet Cuisine. She then opened her first store in the city, called Lunettes et Chocolat, a location that sold all manner of designer chocolate items.
In 2001, she founded MarieBelle, a shop in Soho that connected her to the chocolate sweets she used to make when she was a kid in Honduras.
"When you open a box of MarieBelle chocolates the first thing you see is the presentation, design, and art that I add to the chocolates. Once you try it, you know you've had it before."
Since her stores have expanded and opened locations all over the world, including Spain, France, Italy, Japan, and, of course, her native Honduras.
Due to the great success she's amassed in the business, Maribel has compiled a recipe book packed with some of her most successful recipes. The book is called "MarieBelle Entertains: Savory and Sweet Recipes for Every Occasion from the Master Chocolatier" and is a great source of inspiration for readers who love chocolate or who are trying to perfect the art of hosting.