Crossword Genius

To cook eats around the piano is too much! (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

spate

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'too much' is the definition.
'spate' can be an answer for 'much' (thesaurus). I'm not certain of the 'too' bit.

'to cook eats around the piano' is the wordplay.
'to cook' indicates anagramming the letters.
'around' indicates putting letters inside.
'the piano' becomes 'p' (musical abbreviation).
'eats' with letters rearranged gives 'sate'.
'sate' enclosing 'p' is 'SPATE'.

'is' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for spate that I've seen before include "A torrent of tapes" , "Fast outpouring" , "Sudden river flood" , "Sudden forceful flow" , "Suddenly got a lot" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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