By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published May 21, 2015 at 3:01 PM

What do a premier chef's knife, a "Star Wars" toaster and cookies all have in common? They are all in this edition of the OnMilwaukee.com #WeWant!

Use it: Shun Premier Chef's Knife

Every cook needs at least one chef's knife. And, if you're a cutlery nerd like me, you will want more than one – hence my lust for this lovely piece of stainless steel. Shun knives have been on my wish list for years because I love the feel of them in my hand. Their weight is near-perfect, and I appreciate the fact that they keep their edge better than many other knives. Of course, it doesn't hurt that this 10" knife a gorgeous piece of work. I'm a total sucker for the look of the hand-hammered blade and walnut-colored PakkaWood handle. Add the fact that the hammered finish is actually functional (reducing drag when cutting, and preventing food from sticking to the knife), and I fall deeper and deeper in love. Don't waste the money on this knife just for show. But, if you're in need of something sharp and precise to enhance your cooking prep, why not get something you can swoon over when you pull it out of the knife holder? –Lori Fredrich

Rock It: Soundpeats Bluetooth Headphones 

Running with wired headphones didn't sound terrible until I tried these. The lightweight headphones untether me from my phone and have great sound quality. They shipped with a variety of plugs and ear hooks so I could find the right combination to fit my ears. They charge via USB and hold plenty of juice for when I (often) forget to charge between runs. No more running wires under my shirt (didn't work), letting the cord flop around (terrible), or wrapping it around my phone like some kind of intricate macramé. Now it's just me, the trail, and all the My Brother, My Brother and Me I can cram into my ears. –Nick Barth

Eat them: Hampton Creek's Just Cookie Dough 

Like you, I adore chocolate chip cookies. No, wait. I'm addicted to chocolate chip cookies. But that's not especially good for my cholesterol level. And the fact that my kids (and I) like to eat it raw is not especially healthy, either. Enter Hampton Creek's cholesterol-free, dairy-less cookie dough. It comes in a tub and you just scoop it onto baking sheets and voila! Delicious cookies with lots of chocolate chips. So good you don't even notice the lack of eggs. Best news of all in my house? You can eat it straight out of the tub or scoop it onto ice cream without worrying about eating raw eggs. Find retailers here. –Bobby Tanzilo

Use it: Star Wars Toaster

"Star Wars" lovers, unite. I'm not one of them (though, not a hater) but know plenty of people who are. This want is for all of them, and who knows which one may get this as a gift someday soon. I'm pretty sure any Star Wars fan would think it is pretty badass. Don't make your toast turn to the dark side, bring it to them! –Carolynn Buser

Read it: "The Secret Game," by Scott Ellsworth


I’m a huge basketball fan. Not only for its entertainment value but for the values the sport teaches. It’s easy to shine as an inpidual on the court, but the game only really works when there’s connections, communication and collaboration. So, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the arrival of "The Secret Game," by Scott Ellsworth. It’s the story of the 1943 game that changed history. And, from the few reviews I’ve seen it seems to be simply a great civic story telling that helps us understand race, sport and community. –Jeff Sherman

Read it: Vlad Taltos series

Steven Brust has been writing the Vlad Taltos series since 1983 and has, up to now, released 14 of 19 books. While the series is rooted in the fantasy genre, Brust leans out into his own, eschewing the usual elves and dwarves, and combining elements from a wide variety of lesser known cultural imaginations as well as his own unique creations. The series follows the complicated life of an assassin by the name of Vlad Taltos in a land where humans and "super-humans," called Dragaerans, attempt to co-exist. When Vlad, a human, buys a membership into one of the 17 Royal Dragaeran Houses everything starts to become much more complicated. What Brust does so well is keep the main plot of the story in front, but lets the setting slowly bloom underneath through the methodical release of world-building information over the course of the whole series. Brust avoids mass dumps of information that dull down the reading experience, like expounding for 40 paragraphs upon the political implications of the interregnum of the Great Cycle and the temporary collapse of the Empire (see, you're already bored), but you do learn about it in bits and pieces as the series rolls on. This is to your benefit and his. As he tweeted earlier this year: "You know the real problem with infodumps? Revealing backstory and worldbuilding is so much FUN. Once it's done I don't get to do it any more."

Indeed. In that same vein is Brust's fascination with the artistically, contemplative nature of doing anything. Whether reasoning the best way to set a table or the best way to kill a person, Brust's approach to the life of Vlad Taltos seems to be: if something is worth doing, it's worth doing absolutely perfectly. Even though the series is now 30 years old, the result is still wonderfully reflective of today's young adults. You can start with the first book of the series, Jhereg (pronounced Jur-egg), or, if you prefer, the whole series was recently made available as audiobooks. It's easy to be picky when it comes to narrators, but Bernard Setaro Clark does a fantastic job. –Jason McDowell