Back in the days when I had a TV, I was a big fan of the Food Network. What’s my favorite show? Good Eats! Thanks for asking. (I now own three of Alton Brown’s books after receiving Good Eats: The Early Years for Christmas.)
I never assumed that filming cooking shows was easy, but this article gives some idea of all the preparation that is required before filming can begin. And it turns out that the TV chefs have little people on their shoulders giving them cooking advice the whole time!
Excerpt:
One of the most surprising behind-the-scenes facts is the tiny earphone worn by many of the cooking show hosts. “Cooking on TV is a hard job,” Novatt says. “You need to really actually cook while listening to the culinary producer whispering in your ear telling you to smile and to move your hand because it's blocking the celery, all while you also have to pay attention to the studio director on the floor who is pointing to which camera you have to face.”
“What's great about the Food Network studio environment,” says Sunny Anderson, star of “Cooking for Real,” “is having a team where, if I miss an ingredient in the rush or forget how much time I have left, a gentle voice chimes in my ear to keep me on track.”
