Abstract: A process for making pre-cooked pasta from freshly extruded pasta dough and pastas made by the method. The process involves steaming freshly extruded pasta dough, soaking the steamed dough, removing excess moisture from the surface of the pasta dough and toasting. The desired textural attributes can be achieved by manipulating the processing conditions and the moisture content of the pasta dough. The pre-cooked pasta is particularly suited for hot or boiling water pour-over preparation or microwave cooking.

Abstract: A process for making pre-cooked pasta from freshly extruded pasta dough and pastas made by the method. The process involves steaming freshly extruded pasta dough, soaking the steamed dough, removing excess moisture from the surface of the pasta dough and toasting. The desired textural attributes can be achieved by manipulating the processing conditions and the moisture content of the pasta dough. The pre-cooked pasta is particularly suited for hot or boiling water pour-over preparation or microwave cooking.

Abstract: A casing dough and food composition and hand held convenience food product comprising potato shreds, cellulose gum and starch, and methods for making same. The casing material may be hollow and filled with savory filling materials. The cellulose gum and starch form a film at the exposed surfaces of the casing materials and fill voids in exposed surfaces.

Abstract: A process for making a tubular shaped hand held convenience snack food type product comprising the steps of formulating dough comprising potato shreds, cellulose gum and starch, extruding the dough through a multiple extrusion nozzle to form continuous ropes having two or more axial cavities which can be filled with savory fillings, optionally compressing the ropes, cutting and crimping ropes to form uncooked cut casings and then cooking and freezing. The dough has a moisture content of about 55% to about 75%, preferably about 60% to about 72%, to facilitate extrusion without impairing the potato shred material.

Abstract: A multiple extrusion nozzle having an outer extrusion segment and an inner extrusion segment for extrusion of casing, particularly potato dough casing material, having two or more axial cavities.

Abstract: A method of making an intermediate stabilized dough shape by heating a proofed dough shape with a combination of convection and microwave heating sufficient to stabilize the dough shape, to form a light skin thereon, to inhibit moisture loss from the interior thereof, and to decrease microbial activity therein. The pastry dough shape has an interior and an exterior, and the light skin is formed on the exterior to provide a moisture barrier and structural integrity sufficient to inhibit moisture loss from the interior and retain the shape during heating, handling, storage and cooking thereof to a finished product.

Abstract: A susceptor for use in the microwave cooking of food, includes a first plastic film, a second plastic film, and a semi-liquid lossy material disposed intermediate the first and second films. The lossy material includes glycerine, sucrose ester, and chloride salt, 25 grams of the lossy material in a 50 ml. glass beaker being heatable to at least 200.degree. C. within 40 seconds by 900 watts of microwave energy in a 1.1 cu. ft. oven. Preferably a layer of paper is sandwiched between the first and second films, the lossy material being absorbed on the paper layer. The susceptor is preferably biodegradable and edible. A method of microwave cooking includes the steps of providing an assembly of such a susceptor and the food to be microwave cooked, cooking the food in intimate contact with the susceptor in a microwave oven, and separating the microwave cooked food from the susceptor.

Abstract: In a process for preparing a coated microwaveable meat which will be juicy and tender after microwave cooking, the meat is intimately contacted with an aqueous solution having a pH of 5.0-9.0 and a cation normality ratio of Na.sup.+ /K.sup.+ /Ca.sup.++ of 2-10/1-6/1-4, the contact continuing until the water gain in the meat is at least 8% of the initial weight of the meat. Thereafter a dry, powdery coating agent, including starch, protein and optional flavoring, is applied to the meat. During subsequent microwave cooking of the meat, the coating agent forms a starch-and-protein crosslinked continuous skin-like film which controls the heating rate and the microwave penetration depth so that microwave energy absorption is at least initially higher at the film than in the interior of the meat.

Abstract: A fry-like microwave cooking process for producing food with a crisp exterior and a soft, tender interior includes the steps of applying an edible hydrophilic lossy susceptor to at least a portion of the surface of the food bearing a moisture-retardant edible barrier layer, and microwave cooking the susceptor-bearing food to provide a crisp exterior and a soft, tender interior for the food. The barrier layer is a natural skin, a dough layer or a film formed of a plasticized material selected from the group consisting of methylcellulose, carrageenan and combinations thereof. The susceptor includes glycerine, sucrose ester, and chloride salt. The susceptor is characterized by the property that 25 grams of the susceptor in a 50 ml. glass beaker is heatable to 200.degree. C. in less than 40 seconds by 900 watts of microwave energy in a 1.1 cu. ft. oven. Preferably the process further browns and crisps the food exterior through a Maillard reaction at a temperature of at least 135.degree. C.