Any way you slice it

It's slaw season. All those beautiful cabbages just waiting to be cut into thin shreds and tossed with piquant dressing. And cukes, which you can slice into see-through rounds and tuck into summer sandwiches. Probably every time you read a recipe that says, "Use a mandoline to. . .," you roll your eyes and turn the page. Who has one of those expensive things, with half a dozen blades? Anyway, aren't they dangerous? Not if you're using the Japanese-made Kyocero slicer ($24.95) with a plastic body, ceramic blade, and a guard to protect your fingers. The blade adjusts so you can use the slicer for potatoes, green peppers, and zucchini, which need to be a little thicker. The food processor, which revolutionized kitchen tasks like chopping and pureeing, does a poor job turning these vegetables into even slices. A hand-held Kyocero will reduce a giant head of cabbage into a sublime slaw in minutes. Available at Kitchen Arts, 215 Newbury St., 617-266-8701; Sur La Table, The Mall at Chestnut Hill, 199 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, 617-244-0213; or www.surlatable.com.