The present invention relates to food preparation, and, more particularly, to a method and device that is used to create sculpted food products such as hotdogs and sausages or frankfurters.
The appearance of prepared food is very important. Food is often given an artistically pleasing appearance, or presentation, for more formal dining. At other times, prepared food is given a more whimsical appearance. For example, hotdogs and sausages are typically roasted over a barbeque or open campfire, boiled in water, or cooked in a microwave oven. These food products are often served in elongated buns, and may be covered with condiments such as ketchup, mustard, and relish. More recently, these condiments have been packaged and colored in such a manner that their application can be a form of art, and certainly fun for children. Also, it is desirable to cut tubular shaped food products such as hotdogs and sausages in such a manner that the food product forms a fun shape that is appealing to children during the cooking process. For example, it is known to cut a hot dog in such a manner that the hot dog forms a figure with arms and legs during the cooking process. The cutting of these food products also leads to more evenly cooked food, and allows unwanted grease and fat to drain during cooking.
The food products themselves have been cut manually to provide a sculptured product. It is, however, rather tedious, difficult, and unsafe to sculpt a hot dog with a knife, due to the complex set of incisions required and the slippery nature of the food. Also, parents usually view hotdogs and sausages as a convenient meal to prepare and serve, and are often in a hurry to prepare and serve them. Lengthy, dangerous, or complex cutting processes are not acceptable. Similarly, manual cutting of the product is not amenable to the sale or cooking of properly cut products in quantity.