Lobster spaghetti, barbecue joy and the sound of cinema: Edith Bowman’s recipe for a good life

“The kitchen is our heart of the home,” she says, reflecting on her teenage son’s growing love of cooking and their family tradition of eating together every night. “He spent so much time being around me cooking that he sees how much joy I get out of it.”

MasterChef nerves and Mum tea

Despite a confident air in the kitchen, Edith admits MasterChef was “terrifying” and “really nerve-wracking.” The glare of the judges and the iconic set left her shaken, even if the experience made her braver in the kitchen.

Her signature dish at home? “Mum Tea” as her children call it: breaded chicken with parmesan, lemon zest and olive oil in the breadcrumbs, served with either spaghetti and homemade tomato sauce or noodles. It’s a simple, comforting meal that is regularly requested – proof that sometimes, the best family food is the food you know by heart.

A taste of nostalgia: lobster spaghetti and hotel childhoods

Ask Edith for her ultimate favourite dish and she doesn’t hesitate: lobster spaghetti, a dish she’s never dared to cook herself. “I’d just never be able to match it,” she laughs, recalling childhood days in a Scottish fishing village where her uncle would leave buckets of fresh lobster on the doorstep. Later, in London, she discovered the magic of lobster spaghetti in a tiny Italian on Dean Street, where the sauce was rich with the “essence of the sea.”

Growing up in a family-run hotel, Edith learned the ropes of hospitality early. “I was encouraged to help out from a really young age,” she recalls, crediting those years for her work ethic and ease with people – skills she’s carried into broadcasting and beyond.

Barbecue season and the joy of fresh food

Summer means only one thing for Edith: barbecue season. “Anything goes, really, to be honest. There’s less to wash-up!” Whether it’s vegetables, fish or meat, she loves the ritual of outdoor cooking, sizzle of food on the grill and smoky perfume that lingers in the air.

She’s pragmatic about busy weeks, often prepping sauces and pies in advance so her family always has something fresh to eat, even if it means a bit of repetition. “Life’s busy. At least they’re eating fresh food.”

Confessions, disasters and guilty pleasures

No food journey is complete without a few disasters. Edith confesses to a memorable mishap with lamb shanks and a heavy hand with cayenne pepper: “It was inedible. It came within inches of your tongue and your tongue was like, get that away from me!”

She’s also not above a little culinary subterfuge, admitting to passing off the occasional shop-bought birthday cake as her own by “just tarting it up a bit and making it mine.”

When it comes to guilty pleasures, Edith is unashamed: “Crisps are my guilty pleasure.” Chipsticks, roast beef Monster Munch and barbecue pop crisps all make her list, with a special mention for the “prawn pots” from M&S, her go-to train snack.

Soundtracking life: the power of music and food

Of course, music is never far from Edith’s mind. Her podcast, Soundtracking, was born out of a love for the way music shapes film and memory. “It’s like a time capsule,” she muses, drawing a parallel between the involuntary reactions both music and food can provoke.

She dreams of interviewing composer John Williams, whose scores for Star Wars and Harry Potter are, for her, the gold standard of cinematic sound. “You take the music out of your favourite films and it wouldn’t have the same impact. It’s so ingrained in the storytelling.”

Good food means good company

So, what does good food mean to Edith Bowman? “People and good times,” she says simply. Whether it’s a family supper, barbecue with friends or nostalgic plate of lobster spaghetti, it’s the company and conversation that matter most.

As Edith puts it: “I love cooking for people. I love having people around. Food is about people and conversation.”