Instructions: Anyone whos ever pounded on the bottom of the ketchup bottle to get those last few dollops will appreciate the saga of Bill Baker, who forced H.J. Heinz Co. to squeeze out a little more of the red stuff for millions of ketchup fans.

In 1995, Baker, of Redding, bought a (20-ounce) bottle of Heinz ketchup for his wifes meatloaf. Her recipe called for 2 1/2 cups ketchup, or 20 ounces, but the bottle came up a few ounces short. So Baker called the states Division of Measurement.

Bakers query touched off a statewide investigation and consumer protection lawsuit. Heinz agreed in November to overfill its plastic 18- to (64-ounce)

ketchup containers in California for the next 12 months to make up for the short-weighting. The agreement will require about 78,000 gallons of free ketchup for Californians.

We have been eating ketchup, in various forms, since the 1700s when we got it from the British (who got it 100 years earlier from the Chinese). Back then it was spicy and tart. It didnt contain sugar; it wasnt red.

Thanks to Baker, California is now getting its full share of ketchup. What can be done with the extra red stuff? Here are a few ideas.

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