Costco Connection - April 2005

April 2005 VOLUME 20 ■ NUMBER 4

®

2 The Barefoot Contessa by Angela Pirisi 4 Tequila by Lance Cutler

A lifestyle magazine for small business

DEPARTMENTS Food & Wine

FEATURES

5COVER STORY

Cats in the hats

Technology

11 PC Peripherals

by Marc Saltzman

Inside Costco

8 Buying Smart:
Watches & Diamonds

BY VALERIE RYAN
Costco member Sue Ellen Cooper’s
bold gesture of giving bright red hats
to her over-50 set of friends—plus
her head for business—led to the
creation of the nearly 1-million-
member-strong Red Hat Society,
which boasts a fun-loving and
colorful group of women.

2Someone’s in the kitchen with Ina

10 Understanding Diamonds

BY ANGELA PIRISI

14 Ultra Cruising
15 Member Services Update

Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa, popular chef and author, discusses her passion for cooking and shares a few favorite recipes.

17Costco Book Buyer’s Pick BY GLORIA BLAKELY Diane McKinney-Whetstone drew upon early-morning energy in writing her lyrical love story, Blues Dancing.

Arts & Entertainment

17 Book Buyer’s Pick

4It’s worth a shot

BY LANCE CUTLER

18 Book Previews

We offer a primer on fine tequila, just in time for Cinco de Mayo and the arrival of spring.

20The amazing Cirque du Soleil BY T. FOSTER JONES The business of entertain- ment filtered through one of the most amazing troops you will ever encounter, brought to you without a net.

18 Book Look
19 DVD Previews

12A polished business BY WILL FIFIELD Meguiar’s car-care products have been making vehicles shine since the 1940s.

26 Hearing Center Directory
25 The Consumer Connection
by David Horowitz

16Organizing the home office Three Costco members share their tried-and-true methods for making the home office efficient.

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL,

PAGE 20

INSIDE COSTCO

The Costco Connection is published by Costco Wholesale. All facts, opinions and statements appearing within this publication are those of the writers and editors themselves, and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions or endorsements by Costco Wholesale or its officers. Publishing offices are located at 999 Lake Drive, Issaquah, WA 98027. Information in The Costco Connection is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed. Copyright © 2005 Costco Wholesale. Products advertised may not be available at all locations at time of publication.