Mr. Foodie's sharp advice

Find out what knives you really need for your kitchen

Q. My fiancé and I are registering for wedding gifts. We’d like to set up a great kitchen. What do we really need?

A. If there’s one thing you really need, it’s good knives. Start by registering for a nice traditional chef’s knife. These are 8 to 10 inches long and slice all kinds of things, allowing you to do prep work quickly and easily. Get a simple, all-metal knife that will last. Foodie has persisted in using a $17 Martha Stewart knife from Kmart for seven years, which he sharpens with a $20 electric sharpener he bought at an outlet mall in Branson. If you make more money than Foodie, two really good brands are Wusthof and Sabatier ($80-plus per chef’s knife). Regardless, avoid fancy-pants knife sets with weird micro-serrated edges, oddly curving blades or sh***y plastic handles.