Letters to the editor, January 2005

Food allergies and chocolate cake

When I was diagnosed with celiac disease in May 2004, I knew my food choices would be limited to gluten-free eating. When I subsequently got tested for food allergies, as celiacs are advised to do, I found out that I was allergic to dairy and eggs, too. Talk about a limited diet! There aren’t a lot of choices for treats or baked goods of any kind for people who can’t eat wheat, dairy and eggs.

I went to a support group for people with food allergies and pleaded for a recipe for chocolate cake (my favorite food in my former carefree life). An angel in the group gave me the recipe for vegan chocolate cake from your Web site. Many thanks to the PCC deli bakers for creating the recipe. The cake is delicious! I adapted the recipe for gluten intolerance and I can honestly tell you that it tastes like good old-fashioned chocolate cake! I told my husband that I should have the recipe tattooed on my stomach so I’d never lose it, but he advised me to commit it to memory instead. Thanks so much!
— Linda Hughes, Seattle

Recipe choices

Over the years I have enjoyed many recipes and food tips from the Sound Consumer. However, I was disappointed to see you choose to present an entire article on desserts and include a recipe that crams 1/2 cup of butter and 21/4 cups of sweeteners into a 9″ x 13″ pan. You would do a greater service by helping us prepare fresh seasonal produce in simple, interesting and healthy ways. I don’t know anyone who has trouble finding recipes for sweet and fat-laden treats. But I do know lots of people who struggle with the Brussels sprouts!

Goldie Caughlan always has interesting and simple little things to do with food that are wonderful. I’ve often wished I could eat at her house! I have admired her and been inspired by her for many, many years. She would be a good person to add some perspective to the recipes page as well. Thanks for all that you do!
-— Hilary Forrest

Member bonus days

Thanks for the two articles in the Sound Consumer about member Bonus Days. I was pleased to learn of the extension through March of the floating Bonus Day, effectively giving us three Bonus Days a months and found it interesting and useful to review the evolution of member benefits from PCC’s beginning through to the present day.

As a 22-year member of the co-op, I very much appreciate management’s commitment to offer both a significant differential for members and to do so in a way that is fiscally responsible to PCC’s success. Second, if it should be deemed necessary to again reduce the differential to one (or two) Bonus Days from the current three, I would much prefer that day (or two) be a floating day. I travel regularly and extensively and am one of those members for whom shopping on the 15th/16th is often impossible; I would find one monthly floating Bonus Day much more valuable to me as a member differential than two fixed days.

Thanks again for keeping us informed on this topic. Now must run and get to the co-op — am just back in town and need to fill an empty larder!
— Barbara Schaetti

Deli dinners

We loved our turkey dinner. The 10-person, pre-cooked dinner fed our 10 guests in style. The turkey was perfect! This was a wonderful service for my wife and I who, for the first time in years, were not so tired out from standing over a hot stove all day. We were able to relax and really enjoy our guests. Our thanks to you and the great folks at the View Ridge store who helped us place the order and made sure we were well taken care of when we picked up our dinner. May you walk in beauty.
— Andy Towne and Vicki Hayes

Customer service

My wife and I have just returned from a member’s discount shopping trip to the Greenlake store and we would like to give a big thanks to Mike Germundson for his gracious help. When we asked about a product to avoid a set of allergies my wife has, he jumped right into giving us a tour of the store — showing us all the different ways my wife could get back to a semblance of normal eating after learning about the long list of foods she must avoid.

On a very busy night, Mike cheerfully provided us with a cross-store guide to better eating. He shook off our thanks and said this was just part of the services PCC provides. This is part of the reason we gladly drive past three QFC stores on our way to PCC and why we’ve been members for so many years.
— Grant and Theresa Fjermedal

Free-cycling

I heard about a new Web site started by someone who decided there’s too much waste in the world (as well an overwhelming need for items that are still useful) and wanted to do something about it. According to the site, www.freecycle.org, “Freecycle provides individuals and non-profits an electronic forum to ‘recycle’ unwanted items. Clean up your attic or garage, keep good stuff out of the landfill, and help others at the same time.”

There are thousands of Washington state residents currently participating and the rules of participation are simple. First, join a Freecycle group in your community, and second, every item offered or wanted must be free, legal, tangible and suitable for all ages. No services and no trades, barter or money can be involved.
— Diana Crane, PCC Community and Public Relations Manager