I must admit, you are the first person I have known to be violently allergic to celery. I've always thought of it as such a neutral food (virtually no flavor and no nutritional value other than as ruffage) it would never have occured to me as an allergen. I'm quite sure that disbelief has caused you no end of grief.

Couldn't agree more about overcooking vegetables that way. an affront to humanity indeed!