INT: ChA's kitchen


JH (cutting tomatoes): See, there's the skin, the flesh, the fluid, and the seeds.  In most cases, you just use tomatoes whole, but for any sauce you're reducing, you'll want to remove the skin and seeds.
ChA: Lotta work.
JH: Not when you have a sieve and you're careful with your knife.  Pay attention.
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JH (cooking): Tomatoes contain something called glutamic acid, which is also found in foods like seaweed and asparagus.  It's chemically related to monosodium glutamate, it creates that "umami" flavour I was telling you about earlier.
ChA: Which is why they may technically be a fruit, but you don't put'em in fruit salad.
JH: Exactly.
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JH (mixing): Now, if we were the Heinz corporation, we'd be using white sugar and white vinegar, but I think, for homemade ketchup, we want a more complex, well-rounded flavour.  Brown sugar, red wine vinegar, garlic and onion powders... do you have any kosher salt?
ChA: Carol gave me this pink Himalayan stuff last Christmas...
JH: Perfect.
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ChA: Y'know, Jamie, when I said I could make you a grilled cheese sandwich, I was assuming we would be making grilled cheese sandwiches.
JH: Oh, that reminds me!  Let's see if our bread dough has risen yet...