Joe Romano, Corporate executive chef, PT’s Entertainment Group

“The one tool that I really love is a mandolin. I don’t love the $295 stainless steel model. Those are garbage. I love the $24 Japanese plastic mandolin that you get down at 99 Ranch Market or down at World Market. That’s a tool that needs to be in every kitchen. You can do so much with it. You can do anything from a nice beautiful julienne to chips to different styles of vegetable. You can take a cucumber and trench it and slice it on a bias, thin. Any way you want to do it. It’s just a fantastic tool. If somebody said to me, you have you to bring two pieces of equipment, I would bring my 8-inch Global knife and my mandolin. I can do a lot with that.”