Pastry Chef Richard Long

In preparation for Valentine’s Day, he whipped up a special moist liquid chocolate cake, garnished with a mixed berry compote, and decorated with a dazzling diamond ring.

“You can put whatever you want inside, so when you propose, or birthday or Valentine’s or whatever, it’s a surprise,” he said. “Chocolate always brings romance, like a rose.”

He should know. He’s been honing his skills in the fine art of ‘pastry design’ (think Betty Crocker but on some serious steroids) for the past 17 years. He’s bounced all over the world since his school days at the Ecole LeNotre pastry school in Paris, finally ending up at the Ritz-Carlton in Guangzhou, China. He visited Doha several months ago as part of the Sharq Village and Spa’s Goodlife Festival, which brought chefs from all over the world to tempt Qatari palettes.

He says what’s kept him interested all this time in sweet treats is the almost scientific art behind it.

“When you sauté vegetables, for example, when you go wrong you can save the dish. But pastry? No. You have to follow 100 per cent the recipe. If you do something wrong, you can’t save it,” he said. “Pastry is all about temperature and chemistry, that’s what keeps it interesting.”

He draws inspiration for his creations from everything that comes in contact with his talented tongue.

“When you have a new idea, first you need to think what kind of thing you want to make, and then try it again and again. You take ideas from here and there, and change it with your own identity- that’s the most important part. You take a recipe and make it your own,” he said. “I see, for example, a lot in the Doha local sweets. I want to use what I know and local tastes to make something new and different. Every country has their own food identity, their own sweet culture.”

But that doesn’t mean it has to be complicated, or that delicious perfection is out of reach for home cooks. Particularly when it comes to creating a romantic meal or treat, he says simplicity is the key.

“I believe if you bring out the cake covered in decorations, it’s not warm. If you make it very sharp, very nice, you don’t need decorations- the skill is already there.”

He says it’s what inside that really counts for ooey gooey romance.

“If you make it nicely, the cake speaks for itself.”