Welcome to our Monday morning magic. Last week we showcased two days of big wave action along the coast. Well, today we’re going for the threepeat so let’s go back to last Friday morning on West Cliff Drive. The first shot hails from Steamer Lane followed by clouds reflecting in a pool of water right across from Bird Rock. If you look closely in the fourth shot you can see a rainbow in the sky to the north. For the last shot I ventured up to Natural Bridges. The swell was still pumping but what was really interesting was the way the cormorants and pelicans were huddled together on top of the Natural Bridge. Pelicans were swooping in for a landing but there was no room on the runway so they had to head up the coast. Just an amazing morning on the cliff.

The huge waves of last week gave me an appetite so I took my father out for lunch to the Hindquarter where they serve the best burger in town. And when my cheeseburger and fries arrived, I annointed them with ketchup. Now besides the fact that this condiment comes from tomatoes, what do we really know about this red delight? Well, that question is about to be answered.

The HJ Heinz is a $2.5 billion global company that sells 650 million bottles of ketchup annually. For 50 years their advertising mantra has been “thick and rich.” Come to think of it, that’s how I’d describe billionaire Paul Allen. Anyway, that mantra is not going to change. But change is coming to some of the California tomatoes that produce the ketchup.

A 25 percent increase in the price Heinz pays for corn syrup, a key ingredient in ketchup, has pushed the company’s researchers to produce tomatoes that are 5 to 10 percent sweeter than any of the varieties it typically produces. If all goes well, the new tomatoes will produce thicker and richer paste, which refers to the texture, the experience and the mouth feel of the ketchup. You know, that zen moment when you enter hamburger heaven and the ketchup is along for the ride.

The new varieties are expected to join the 2,750 genetic varieties of this noble fruit. Yet, you would not put a tomato in a fruit salad. The varieties being developed are among the more than 700 new tomato varieties that Heinz evaluates annually. All tomatoes grown for Heinz in the United States come from the San Joaquin Valley in California. In recent years 10 million tons have been grown for tomato processing in the Golden State. This compares to the comparatively smaller market of 400,000 tons of fresh tomatoes.

Let’s catch up on a little ketchup history. The word ketchup (or catsup for you animal lovers) is derived from Chinese ketsiap, a pickled fish sauce. In the 1600′s English sailors visiting Malaysia and Singapore were so impressed with the sauce that they took samples home in little packets. In the 1700′s, New Englanders created the definitive tomato ketchup when Maine seamen returned from Mexico and the Spanish West Indies with seeds of an exotic New World fruit called tomato. This tangy tomato ketchup become a popular sauce for codfish cakes and meats, particularly Big Macs, Whoppers and double bacon mushroom cheeseburgers.

Ketchup is America’s favorite condiment, being found in 97% of kitchens, although to quote Ed Norton of The Honeymooners, “I think the average may be higher than that.” Studies have shown that tomato ketchup can also be a powerful tool in the fight against cancer and heart disease. Kids eat and spill 50 percent more ketchup than adults. And finally, the world’s largest ketchup bottle is proudly displayed in Collinsville, Illinois. Built atop a water tower, it stands 170 feet tall. Why, I have no idea. Maybe it’s because of the giant 240 foot french fry standing right next to it.

So that’s it for a chilly Monday here on the central coast. Coming up on Wednesday we’re going to show you my favorite sunrise from 2006. It’s one you won’t want to miss. So enjoy your condiments, enjoy the day and we’ll catch you for an epic sunrise on Wednesday.