...waving the "red" flag

ketchup... condiment of the gods...
saver of meals... savior of meatloaf...
savored... with anything fried & crunchy...

always liked it... never lived on it...
and no... it's not my favorite vegetable...
nor do I consider it a major food group...
but there's always been a bottle
in any 'fridge I lived with...

and from my earliest days...
it was always this one...



they say that taste and smell can trigger
or even "are", your earliest memories...
so since it was what I grew up with...
I always bought it...

that is, until MM, a self-proclaimed "condiment queen"
informed me that "Brand H" was fine for cooking...
but that "D M" was the ONLY kind to eat...
when "taste" was important...

so, being "open" to new things...
[and she is usually "right on" with advice...]
the next time I needed ketchup...
I bought some...



quite a bit was used in a meatloaf...
[I know... but I was out of "Brand H"...
I was committed to making the meatloaf...
and I MUST have ketchup IN my meatloaf...]

so last night, I was having a burger ...
[not the usual menu around here much anymore...]
and used the DM ketchup, as a condiment,
for the first time... and it was REALLY GOOD...


a bit tangier...[that pineapple vinegar perhaps ? ]
very tomato-y and just plain delicious...
I am now a convert to DM ketchup...
and MM was right... again...
hummm....


ketchup lovers show their colors proudly...

with a NUMBER of different articles of clothing...

but perhaps ketchup's enduring allure
can be best summed up by the following "saying"...

directed at humans...
attributed to dragons...

but works equally well for us ...
with almost any food...
since for many people...
"everything" is better with ketchup..."

some people love that "ketchuppy" goodness SO MUCH...
that they have caused products to be made...
with the "red stuff" already included...



these are Kosher, ketchup flavored Cheetos...
[I have NOW officially seen everything...]


I rather prefer to add my own ketchup...
and there are, of course...
some foods that MUST be accompanied by ketchup...


"lives there a man, or woman, with soul so dead...
that never to them self has said...
'pass me the ketchup for my fries'..."


"gotta have ketchup here..."


been there, done that...
if I'm eating ketchup on a sausage...
I'm ONLY eating ketchup on the sausage...

though...I do admit to liking the "Chicago" style...


no ketchup... NOT even on the counter...

this, however, is just WRONG...
[tuna AND ketchup ?...ON A PIZZA ? !!! ]

I suppose there's NO accounting for taste...
[can you say, "plop,plop, fizz,fizz..." ? ]

some folks LOVE their ketchup SO much...
they don't care what they eat it on...
just that there's a LOT of it...


"extra-large" size[compared to a Micky D fry...]
ketchup packets...from Germany...
[why am I not surprised...? ]



lots...
of different brands...
and the resulting arguments between "fans"
have been the reason for massive taste tests....




and for the "health conscious"...organics too...


[is deep fried food really healthier with organic ketchup ?]

and... of course... "vanity ketchup"...

"Trekkie" ketchup...
created for William Shatner, himself...
[would Spock ketchup be green ?]



and then...beyond "tomato"....there are other flavors...


mmmmmmmm.... "hot fudge", by any other name ?
[this sounds like something DD should "investigate"...]



if you don't 'get' how special...check out the background "flora"...



there IS purple [grape] ketchup...
I included this ad from Africa for MM...