Pretentious moi ?

“Microplane is a registered trademark of Grace Manufacturing Inc., a company that makes photo etched steel tools (surform tools) for grating, grinding and sanding“

They are brilliant graters, incredibly sharp so beware of fingers. I have 2, one fine and one coarse and use the fine one for garlic, nutmeg, lemon zest and ginger, the coarse one for Parmesan and other cheese if I need it reasonably finely grated.
They have the added advantage of being stored in the utensils drawer.

I didn't realise I already had a Microplane. It's always been known as 'the small grater'! You live and learn.

Lots of recipes for mashed/smashed potatoes with lemon. Not my cup of tea though.

Often while watching cookery programmes and seeing the strange combinations of food, I wonder what made the chef try it in the first place!
Are they just bored with cooking the same things, or do they really have very little sense of taste or smell? Really do not like going out for a meal ( very rare, so really look forward to it)only to be so disappointed with the concoction that arrives on the plate - and the bill at the end of it!
One of our local hotels is doing a Valentines "sharing " meal - one of the choices is Boef de Coeur at £50. I queried if that was for the whole cow!

The daftest 'recope' I ever heard of was some sort of OTT 'sandwixh' recipe for children whilst camping. Would have required a fully equipped kitchen, not a 2-burner gas stove and a camp table, and unlikely to be appreciated or eaten by kids running wild in the wilderness!

May sound like sacrilege, but marg makes better mash than butter. In every other respect I prefer real butter, especially salted Irish,but marg seems to do the trick in mashed spuds.
Also partial to cracking a fresh egg in but you really do have to mash super quickly to avoid lumps.
and lemon is for seafood......not spuds.

Why do M & S put a sprig of rosemary on top of turkey joints? This pungent herb is disliked by many. Even if you remove it before cooking and wash the joint thoroughly, you can still taste it. Yuk! And as any decent chef will tell you, rosemary goes with lamb, not turkey. If you like it, of course.

All these cheffy things they do - one wonders if they have run out of outrageous things to do an "emperor's new clothes" on the gullible?

I don't like the new way of presenting food that always reminds me of when you get a drip of gravy over the edge of the plate. Puddles and smears are kind of offputting

Crispy fish skin placed over the finished dish, does not even look attractive.

Absent, yes, I know - I have more than once used prawns' 'bits' to make stock for a risotto.

It was the half dozen lobster shells that made me laugh - as if it was the sort of thing most of us frequently have lying around..

Don't like any dish that's served with froth. It puts me in mind of cuckoo spit. not envy

A microplane is much easier to use as you can direct the grating over the dish more easily.

So that's what the finest side of my square grater is called!
Do the other 3 sides have special names as well?

Occasionally I like my mash with a little bit of finely chopped, fried onion stirred into it. Nice with cheese.

My micro plane eventually lost its sharpness so I got something very similar and much cheaper from Tesco. I add a hint of lemon zest to sauté potatoes with fish.

I think the foam is more like a garnish – take it or leave it – designed to be decorative.

Oh no! I like foods with a good texture.
I can't eat mousse or jelly or anything like that.
I think foam would make me retch!
Not very polite!

Foamy lemon perhaps?

With scampi? No?

I love lemon flavoured foods, puds and sauce with fish but I do think lemon mash could be a step too far even for me!

Foamy food sounds horrible.
Glad I haven't ever come across it.
Lemon mash sounds quite nice though.

I thought a microplane was something you flew in the park by remote control.

I haven't tried lemon in mash but I usually add a drop of mustard to it, or perhaps a little horseradish sauce if we're having beef. I keep wondering if I can justify the price of a microplane grater, I would like one.

I don't do foam or jus!

Lemon with mashed potato doesn't appeal to me. A possibility with a fish dish.

Well, thank you for that delightful mental picture, merlotgran!! I shall try not to let it haunt me.