Piano man steps into the kitchen

Dunshaughlin-based piano teacher and musician Frank McNamara is the celebrity chef at RTE"s 'The Restaurant" on Sunday next. 'I love food to have interesting, sensual, wonderful flavours and enjoy every morsel that goes into your mouth,' he says. At home in Growtown, Frank McNamara can often be found cooking meals for his wife, Theresa Lowe, and their four children. He brought one of the family favourites along to his Restaurant menu - Vodka and Chicken Penne. 'Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but hopefully tonight, the critics will love what I have done,' the former Progressive Democrat general election candidate said. His three-course menu reflects his touring and performing lifestyle with Russian and South Pacific influences evident in his starters, of watermelon, steak and Russian roulegg. A Mediterranean influence is clear in the main courses, his baked fillet of turbot with a champagne and chorizo sauce and vodka and chicken penne. McNamara said: 'One is a bit sophisticated and takes a little longer to prepare and tastes absolutely fantastic, the other is really simple dish. I like to be able to cook something really fast and have a good taste.' 'The Restaurant" is on RTE One, Sunday 4th January, at 8.30pm.