Harold W Zukerman

6767570, Jul 27, 2004

May 13, 2002

10/144306

Harold W Zukerman - Northbrook IL, 60062
Rachel B. Zukerman - Northbrook IL, 60062

A23L 1182

426506, 426509, 426512, 426523, 426524, 426618

The present invention teaches a process for making ready-to-eat, shaped rice products having a texture comprised of visible, fully-cooked rice grains joined together; said process utilizes three rice-cooking steps. In the first rice-cooking step, the rice grains are only partially-cooked inside the cooker at temperatures above 175 F. The still-cooking, partially-cooked rice grains together with some adhering cooking water are discharged from the cooker before the centers of the grains are fully-cooked and while the grains are still flowable. In the second rice-cooking step, said rice grains continue to cook in an enclosed conveyor with their own retained heat and water at temperatures above 175 F while the retained water from the grains surfaces is absorbed into their centers. An important aspect of the present invention is that the rice grains become fully-cooked at about the time they are formed into shaped units. In the third rice-cooking step, the shaped rice units comprised of visible, joined, fully-cooked rice grains are moved into fat fryers or hot-air ovens and are cooked at temperatures above 300 F to firm their textures and evaporate some of the grains moisture before the fully-cooked grains become over-hydrated and burst.

7351439, Apr 1, 2008

Jul 15, 2005

11/181757

Harold W. Zukerman - Northbrook IL, US
Rachel B. Zukerman - Northbrook IL, US

A23L 1/164

426506, 426508, 426512, 426515, 426516, 426517, 426519, 426523, 426540, 426580, 426620, 426654

The present invention provides a process for making hand-held shaped cereal and milk products having a smooth, homogenous-consistency texture and a moisture content higher than 35%, using about the same amount and ratio of cereal flour to fluid-milk as found in a traditional combination of (RTE) cereal pieces (made from cereal flour) and fluid-milk that have to be eaten from a bowl with a spoon. In the process of the present invention, each pound of cereal flour is cooked with 3 to 4 pounds of fluid-milk together with starch-complexing agents in a continuous cooker at temperatures above 175 F. It is then discharged as a hot, fluid-milk-hydrated, starch-complexed cereal flour which continues to absorb retained fluid-milk until it becomes fully-cooked, fully-hydrated and viscous enough to retain a shape. It is then formed into units, baked to firm their textures while retaining a higher than 35% moisture, and stored refrigerated or frozen.

20040005400, Jan 8, 2004

Jul 8, 2002

10/189830

Harold Zukerman - Northbrook IL, US
Rachel Zukerman - Northbrook IL, US

Healthy Grain Foods LLC

A23L001/168

426/618000

The present invention teaches how to make high moisture shaped cereal foods from cereal flour and fluid-milk and/or water; said cereal foods having a higher than 40% moisture content, a thin surface skin, and a soft, smooth, homogenous interior texture. The shaped cereal and milk foods of the present invention taste similar to the traditional cereal and milk that have always been consumed from a bowl with a spoon while also having the added benefit of being able to be eaten hand-held, on-the-go. The process of the present invention can also be used to make high moisture rice fries from rice flour and water. Having a higher than 40% moisture content is important because it provides the moisture and lubricity that both fat-fried and oven-baked rice fries products need. In the process of the present invention, cereal grains from one cereal genera or mixtures of different cereal genera are milled into a cereal flour. Fluid-milk and/or water is then infused into the starch granules of the cereal flour at temperatures above 170 F inside a cooker until the fluid-infused cereal flour thickens into a viscous, smooth and homogenous consistency. Additional food ingredients that impart flavor, color, water-binding and freeze-thaw stability properties to the finished product can also be infused into the cereal flour. Outside the cooker and with the retained heat and fluid from the cooking step, the starch granules of the fluid-infused cereal flour continue to both absorb some of the retained fluid and increase to a viscosity that is thick and firm enough to maintain a formed shape. Said fluid-infused cereal flour is then formed into shaped units with low-shear forming systems or cut into individual units with cutters. The individual units are spaced apart in a mono-layer before they are conveyed into either a continuous fat-fryer or oven which further heat the units thereby fully gelatinizing the starch granules of the fluid-infused cereal flour and developing a thin surface skin while retaining a higher than 40% moisture level and a soft, smooth, homogenous interior texture.

20070154598, Jul 5, 2007

Dec 29, 2005

11/320290

Harold Zukerman - Northbrook IL, US
Rachel Zukerman - Northbrook IL, US

A23L 1/36

426093000

The present invention relates to a process for making soft-baked breakfast pockets comprised of joined fluid-milk infused cereal grains enclosing a non-grain filling component. When formulated with four full ounces of fluid-milk for each one-ounce of dry cereal grains (the same amount and ratio of fluid-milk to dry cereal used to make a bowl of cereal and fluid-milk breakfast) said soft-baked breakfast pockets of the present invention can be used as a “hand-held” replacement for the traditional cereal, fluid-milk and fruit breakfast that can only be consumed from a bowl with a spoon. In the first step of the process of the present invention, both the non-grain filling component and the fluid-milk infused cereal grains, which are made by infusing 200 to 400 pounds of fluid-milk into each 100 pounds of dry raw cereal grains at temperatures above 180 F., are prepared separately. In the second step of the process, both components are merged into configurations whereby the non-grain filling component is either fully-enclosed or partially-enclosed within joined fluid-milk-infused cereal grains. The soft-baked texture of the joined fluid-milk-infused cereal grains is developed when heated with hot air at temperatures above 300 F.

20070202217, Aug 30, 2007

Feb 27, 2006

11/361889

Harold Zukerman - Northbrook IL, US
Rachel Zukerman - Northbrook IL, US

A23L 1/36

426093000

The soft-baked stir-fried rice grain pockets of the present invention were developed to be handheld replacements for traditional stir-fried rice grain entrees that have always been consumed from a plate or bowl with a fork or chopsticks. There are numerous recipes for making traditional stir-fried rice grain entrees because every country and culture prefers their own indigenous blends of vegetables, herbs and spices. In the process of the present invention, the ingredients that comprise a traditional stir-fried rice grain entrée are separated into two components, a stir-fried rice grain component and a stir-fried filling component, both of which are comprised of food particles and spices that complement each other so that when said two components are later merged into pocket configurations, they provide the stir-fry taste and the stir-fried rice-grain texture of traditional stir-fried rice grain entrées—but in a handheld format. The stir-fried rice grain component is prepared by stir-frying with non-shear mechanical stirrers, individual rice grains, water, oil, diced and/or sliced vegetables, food particles, seasonings and starch complexing agents at temperatures between 175 F. and 220 F. until said individual rice grains absorb between 200 to 400 pounds of the stir-fry flavored water solution per 100 pounds of dry rice grains and develop soft textures and become bloated with the stir-fry flavored water solution. The stir-fried filling-component is prepared separately. The two stir-fried components are then merged and formed into completely enclosed pockets and open-face pockets. Completely enclosed pockets have a stir-fried filling component enclosed within a stir-fried rice grain component, while the open-face pockets have the stir-fried filling component positioned on top of the stir-fried rice-grain component. The merged and formed stir-fried rice grain pockets are then baked at temperatures between 300 F. and 600 F. until the stir-fried rice grain component develops a soft-baked texture and said pockets become structurally strong enough to be picked-up and consumed handheld.

20110244091, Oct 6, 2011

Mar 30, 2010

12/798079

Harold W. Zukerman - Northbrook IL, US
Rachel B. Zukerman - Northbrook IL, US

A23L 1/182

426281

The present invention relates to a two-step cooking process for producing yogurt and cereal bars, rice pudding bars, and milk and cereal bars having surfaces and interiors comprised of soft, moist, fully-cooked milk-infused grain-chunks. Said bars provide handheld milk and cereal breakfasts. In the first cooking step, grain-chunks are only partially-cooked in a continuous-cooker at about 212 F. while being infused with 1.5 to 4 times as much fluid-milk before said partially-cooked, milk-infused grain-chunks are deposited from said cooker and allowed to flow onto a conveyor belt as a thick-sheet. Food particles are sprinkled onto the surface of said sheet before it is cut into bar-shaped units. In the second cooking step, the shaped-units are baked in a continuous-oven at temperatures above 275 F. until their partially-cooked grain-chunks become fully-cooked. The units are then cooled to prevent overcooking the fully-cooked grain-chunks.

61032832, Aug 15, 2000

Dec 14, 1998

9/210822

Harold W. Zukerman - Northbrook IL
Rachel B. Zukerman - Northbrook IL

Healthy Grain Foods LLC. - Northbrook IL

A23L 110
A23P 102

426285

The present invention relates to a process for producing a ready-to-eat cereal and fluid-milk breakfast food product having a firm surface and an interior comprised of fully cooked, soft and moist, fluid-milk-infused cereal grains joined together. The cereal and fluid-milk products of the present invention can be picked up and eaten hand-held because their textures do not become soggy even when the cereal grains have been infused with all the added fluid-milk. In the process of the present invention, a fluid-milk solution which contains starch complexing agents, flavors and sweeteners, are infused into cereal grains at temperatures above 180 F until the cereal grains become infused with all the fluid-milk solution, fully cooked, and soft and moist in texture. The proteins of the cooked fluid-milk together with the gelatinized starch of the cooked cereal grains provide the needed fluid-binding and cohesive properties which synergistically act together to both cause the individual fully-cooked cereal grains to become joined to one another and in addition, to bind and retain all the infused fluid-milk solution within the cereal grains' interiors. The fluid-milk-infused cereal grains are then shaped into units with low shear forming equipment, and oven-baked to firm their surface texture and develop their golden brown surface color while still retaining their soft, moist, fluid-milk-infused interior texture.

39610870, Jun 1, 1976

Mar 28, 1974

5/455606

Harold W. Zukerman - Skokie IL

American Frozen Foods Corporation - Wichita KS

A23L 1168

426262

A process for preparation of a cooked rice which has its grains joined together and a portion of its amylose and amylopectin modified by utilizing starch-complexing agents.