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The view from behind the camera

12 chickens, 3 whole ham legs, 84 eggs, 18 packets of butter, 7 litres of sunflower oil, 6 mackerel, 15 rolls of kitchen paper…are just a few of the things it took to make 50 brilliant new instructional videos for the GoodFood website.

In order to make things run smoothly during the filming, so much has to be prepared in advance, and that's where Home Economists, like myself, factor into the picture. When I was enlisted, I knew it was going to be two enjoyable weeks of long, food-filled days, but it wasn't until I started to work out the logistics of the tight schedule that I realised I'd be roasting potatoes at 7am on a Monday, or whipping up billowing meringues, multiple crème brulee pots and wobbly panna cottas on a Bank Holiday in a deserted BBC building.

Regardless of experiencing the strange sensation of the classic scent of roast dinner wafting up your nostrils before you've even had breakfast, or the pressure of having to make soufflés with five people watching as you whisk, working behind the scenes is a fantastic job.

It's mentally challenging too: try working out all the things you'll need on set to demonstrate how to make and assemble a Victoria sponge, and I guarantee your brain will feel stretched...

You get to cook without the constant stresses of restaurant service, or a hard-nosed Head Chef breathing down your neck. It's mentally challenging (and therefore rewarding) too: try working out all the things you'll need on set to demonstrate how to make and assemble a Victoria sponge, and I guarantee your brain will feel stretched even before you begin baking the eight sponge halves you've just figured out are necessary. Plus you get to devour all the delicious grub afterwards, a fact which I'm sure you'll be very envious of when you watch the videos, especially How to make chocolate truffles and How to get perfect pork crackling - the end results of those were particularly delectable.

In my profession, you don't just get to play around with food - you get to work with and learn from a diverse range of people - none so lovely or knowledgeable as the fearless presenters of the videos: the Good Food Cookery Team. As you’ll see, all show-off their expertise and versatility in the kitchen with great aplomb. From deftly filleting flat fishes, to piping pretty swirls on cupcakes, to making gloriously puffed-up Yorkshire puds, the accomplished bunch have everything covered.

So if you've ever wondered how to cut perfect parallel carrot batons, prepare fresh pasta from scratch, or what on earth to do with that whole squid that you've bravely bought from the fishmonger, then now's the time to get viewing. Just remember the tired (but very happy) Home Economist standing about a metre out of shot.

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