Sweet designs

Chef Mohammed Sarwar, the pastry chef at Crowne Plaza Hotel, is pleased to return home with a gold medal and for being elevated to Table Honour as Best in Class for the Pastry Showpiece at the Dubai Salon Culinaire 2001. His delicate sugar creation, shaped like a Chinese Pagoda, its walls finely traced in trellis work and topped by delicate spires, was voted the best.

"The actual work was done over several days," says Sarwar. "In fact, once the actual design was decided upon, it was a case of taking it one step at a time to ensure that every tiny detail was as perfect as I could make it."

However, transporting the completed entry proved a bit of a nightmare. "We left for Dubai at four in the morning and even though the roads were quiet, my heart was in my mouth every time we went over a bump or changed lanes," he said. Luckily there was little damage and Sarwar had plenty of time to make repairs. That was the real test, trying to keep calm instead of panicking and making a mess of things.

Asked if he had any tips for home cooks interested in cake decoration, Sarwar recommended that they keep things simple to begin with and gradually work up to more ambitious designs to avoid disappointment. However, if you would like to see what a clear head combined with culinary expertise can achieve, Sarwar's winning entry will be on display at the Cappuchino Coffee Shop for another week.