Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Surface coated – fluid encapsulated – laminated solid... – Having inedible feature
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-05
2001-07-10
Cano, Milton (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Surface coated, fluid encapsulated, laminated solid...
Having inedible feature
C426S094000, C426S107000, C426S143000, C426S283000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06258392
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention generally relates to a food product, relates specifically to a pasta product, more specifically to a microwaveable pasta product, and particularly to a pasta pie.
Pasta products are enjoyed by many consumers. In the past, pasta has been created by passing a pasta mix through a die so as to create an extruded shape of the pasta. Traditionally, pasta is formed as spaghetti, linguini, lasagna and various other elongated extruded shapes. Pasta is often cut so as to form shorter shapes.
Conventionally, pasta products were generally prepared in the kitchen by the cook separately preparing the pasta and the desired sauces and combining them prior to their being served. However, there is an increasing desire for convenience food products which minimizes the preparation time and effort for the preparer while still obtaining and even preferably exceeding the taste and character of made from scratch food products. Additionally, there is increasing pressure for reducing the cost of such food products, with such pressure coming from the existence of other types of food products as well as from the consumers themselves.
Although present in the marketplace, currently available prepared pasta products suffer from various deficiencies. Specifically, due to the elongated shape of many pasta products, the products such as lasagna are made in layers which are difficult and/or relatively expensive to mechanically fabricate. Similarly, many pasta products are filled or stuffed which can be manufactured by various processes while maintaining various degrees of consistencies and tolerance levels. However, a major deficiency in current prepared pasta products is their deficiencies in the ability to be microwaved in the final preparation for consumption. Specifically, because of their inability to maintain a shape, many pasta products, especially including short length pasta, are sealed in plastic bags which can be dropped in boiling water, with the pasta products being removed from the bags and placed on a serving utensil. Similarly, such pasta products are removed from the sealed plastic bags and placed on a microwaveable utensil for microwaving. For either case, such pasta products require the use of utensils beyond their own packaging, which detracts from their convenience. But more importantly, conventional pasta products suffer from various deficiencies in their ability to be cooked utilizing microwaves. Specifically, products which do not have or maintain a constant size and thickness often will tend to be overcooked at certain areas while being undercooked at other areas. Likewise, products which are formed in layers have a thickness resulting in the dramatic increase in the amount of time required for microwave cooking as well as inconsistencies in cooking in different areas or portions of the food products.
Thus, there exists a continuing need for pasta products which can easily be prepared by microwaving, can be served in the same pan in which it was microwaved, and having a flavor, appearance, and consistency which is favorable to most consumers of pasta products.
SUMMARY
The present invention solves this need and other problems in the field of microwaveable products by providing, in the preferred form, a honeycomb shell including grid-shaped walls integrally formed within an outer wall and defining a plurality of passages open from the top face to the bottom face. A filling is located within and retained by the passages and by a pan which abuts with the bottom face and closes the passages of the shell. In the most preferred form, the shell is formed of pasta and the filling is a sauce which is commonly served with pasta. The height of the passages allows microwave energy to reach all points of the filling retained in the passages.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a novel microwaveable food product in the form of a pie.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel microwaveable food product in the form of a pasta pie.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel microwaveable food product including a shell in a honeycomb shape.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel microwaveable food product including a honeycomb shaped shell including vertical passages which can be easily mechanically filled.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel microwaveable food product including a shell having a thickness which allows microwave energy to reach all points of the filling retained in the shell.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel microwaveable food product retaining a microwaveable filling at a constant thickness.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel microwaveable food product requiring minimal cleaning of utensils and cooking areas.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel microwaveable food product minimizing the amount of time required for microwave cooking while maximizing uniformity in cooking.
These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention described in connection with the drawings.
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Cano Milton
Dauerman Sherry A.
Kamrath Alan
Rider Bennett Egan & Arundel LLP
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