Abstract:
A cooking utensil for frying a tortilla into a taco shell comprises a shell section having first and second U-shaped shell members and a handle assembly that linearly biases the second shell member into nested relation with the first shell member. A brace member attaches to the first shell member. The first end of an outer tubular shaft attaches a first handle member and its second end slidably attaches to the brace member. An inner shaft having a first end attached to a second handle member and a second end pivotally attached to the second shell member is slidably disposed in the outer shaft. The first handle member has a cavity that receives the second handle member, which is biased outwardly from the cavity by a spring. A user supplied anti-biasing force separates the first and second shell members for insertion of the tortilla and removal of the taco shell.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not Applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A. Field of the Invention 
     The field of the present invention relates generally to devices utilized to cook food. More specifically, this invention relates to cooking utensils that are configured to form the shape of a food item and to assist in the cooking thereof. Even more specifically, this invention relates to such cooking utensils that are configured for forming and frying traditional taco shells. 
     B. Background 
     Many people enjoy eating foods that are generally identified with a specific ethnic or cultural background, whether they are or are not of that specific background. For instance, many people enjoy eating foods that are traditionally thought of as Mexican or Mexican-style food, no matter what ethnic or cultural background they consider themselves to belong. One popular Mexican food item that is enjoyed by many people is the traditional U-shaped, hard-shell taco. As well known, the traditional hard-shell taco is made from a soft texture corn or flour tortilla that is folded into the U-shaped configuration, fried by immersing the tortilla into heated cooking oil contained in a frying pan, deep fryer or other cooking container, removed from the cooking oil and then filled with filling. While there are many possible types of fillings for a taco, a popular combination of food items for the filling is lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and a meat product, such as ground beef and the like. Some people enjoy their tacos with refried or other bean products inside the taco shell or on a plate served with the taco. 
     In addition to eating ethnic or cultural foods, many people enjoy cooking these foods themselves. With regard to tacos, for ease of preparation many people purchase pre-formed and pre-cooked taco shells from the store and then add a filling that they prepare themself. Unfortunately, as with many other foods that are mass produced and packaged for stores, the taco shells purchased from a store are not as tasty or generally as healthy as a taco shell that is freshly made by the cook when he or she is preparing the meal. People who do prepare the taco shell themselves typically either manually form the taco shell while cooking the tortilla in the frying pan, by turning it over into the standard U-shape while the tortilla is cooking, or utilize a cooking utensil that is configured to form the tortilla into the U-shape while its frying in a pan or deep fryer. Preparing a taco shell in a frying pan by folding the tortilla into the U-shape and holding it there while it fries in the oil is difficult and can subject the cook to injury from the heated oil splattering on his or her hand and/or arm. The use of deep fryers, which require the tortilla to be placed in an appropriately configured taco shell mold and then submerged in the heated oil and left for sufficient time to fry the tortilla into the hard shell, tend to saturate the finished taco shell with oil, a less than desired result. In fact, this method of cooking taco shells somewhat reduces one of the main benefits of home cooking, which is to provide a fresher and more healthy meal. 
     Many modern restaurants attempt to mimic the quality and health benefits that are typically associated with home cooked meals. Generally, in order to do so, these restaurants utilize many of the same ingredients and cooking methods that people use at home. With regard to tacos, the “home style” cooking restaurants typically utilize fresh tortillas and cook their taco shells in a frying pan or the like having a relatively (i.e., compared to a fryer) small amount of cooking oil, typically olive oil. Unlike most home cooking, however, restaurants have the need to prepare a relatively large number of taco shells for consumption by its patrons. On a busy night, this could require the restaurant to prepare many hundreds or even thousands of taco shells. Naturally, such needs make it difficult to prepare a taco shell by folding it in the pan while it fries. 
     As those who make their own taco shells know, whether the taco shells is made at home or in a restaurant, forming and frying a tortilla into a good, crispy and relatively healthy taco shell using a frying pan is no easy task. First, in order to obtain the desired tasty and relatively golden colored fried taco shell, the cook must utilize the proper type and amount of cooking oil and heat the oil to a temperature that is sufficiently hot to fry the tortilla, but not so hot so as to cause the cooking oil to excessively splatter against the cook or the surfaces of other nearby cooking equipment. Second, the cook must fold the tortilla into the desired taco shell U-shape and hold the normally soft tortilla in that shape while it is being fried by immersion in the heated cooking oil. Third, the cook must have the ability to safely and in a timely fashion remove the fried tortilla (i.e., the now formed taco shell) from the cooking oil in a manner that does not break or otherwise damage the taco shell, splatter cooking oil and result in contact between the cook and the frying pan. 
     Several patents describe devices configured to simplify and improve the making of taco shells from scratch. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,957,404 to Richardson describes a tortilla holder having a U-shaped plate that attaches to a bifurcated rod which attaches to the handle. A resilient wire clip holds the soft tortilla to the U-shaped plate, which is provided with holes to allow the oil to permeate the entire interior of the tortilla, while cooking the tortilla to form the taco shell. U.S. Pat. No. 3,020,826 to Silva describes a cooking utensil having a pair of horizontally displaced taco holding members that connect to a handle section configured for use in a deep fat fryer. The user squeezes a pair of handle members together to spread the taco holding members apart for insertion of the tortilla. U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,537 to Johnson, et al. describes a tortilla cooking utensil having a U-shaped piece of metal attached to a spring clip handle that is configured to grasp one end of the tortilla in order to turn it over in a skillet. The handle has a V-notched portion that permits the handle to rest on the upper edge of the skillet. U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,911 to Kennedy, Jr. et al. describes a cooking utensil having a multi-section outer plate that folds over a U-shaped inner plate with the tortilla disposed between. U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,887 to Childress describes a taco shell frying mold having an outer U-shaped mold piece and an inner U-shaped mold piece that are dimensioned for nesting with the tortilla disposed between. Each mold piece has a handle, which are joined together with a C-shaped clip when cooking the tortilla. U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,743 to Overstreet describes a taco cooking device comprising a first mold half joined with a second mold half to form a substantially U-shaped mold for the tortilla. A handle attaches to a securement means that snugly secures a meat filled taco in place during deep frying. 
     Although the aforementioned prior art patents describe various taco shell cooking utensils that can be utilized for cooking a tortilla into a U-shaped taco shell, they all present various limitations that impede their usefulness and, therefore, their acceptance. These limitations include handles that are not easy to grip and/or utilize to form the desired U-shape, handles that are not very well configured for use in a frying pan and/or taco mold pieces that can be difficult to adjust for the taco shell, particularly when hot after cooking. What is needed, therefore, is an improved cooking utensil for frying taco shells that is more useful for forming soft, generally flat tortillas into hard, U-shaped taco shells. Preferably, the improved taco shell utensil will have a handle assembly that is easy to receive and hold the tortilla so as to form it into the desired U-shape for cooking. In addition, the taco shell utensil should be configured for ease of removing the cooked taco shell from the utensil. It is also preferred that the improved taco shell utensil be configured for use in frying pans having sidewalls of different heights while utilizing a relatively small amount of cooking oil such that the utensil maintains a side of the taco shell in the cooking oil while it is being formed. It is also preferred that the taco shell utensil be supported on the frying pan sidewall in a manner that dissipates the heat from the frying pan. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The cooking utensil for frying taco shells of the present invention provides the benefits and solves the problems and/or overcomes the limitations of the prior art set forth above. That is to say, the present invention discloses a taco shell cooking utensil comprising a handle assembly that cooperatively engages a taco shell forming section to relatively easily and quickly form a soft tortilla into the desired U-shaped configuration for the taco shell. The cooking utensil for frying taco shells of the present invention has a handle assembly that is easy to grip and manipulate for purposes of forming and cooking a tortilla into a taco shell. The cooking utensil of the present invention is configured to be safely utilized with various sized frying pans while utilizing a relatively small amount of cooking oil and to dissipate the heat from the frying pan so as to not overly heat the cooking utensil. The present invention is an improvement over the prior art taco shell cooking devices by providing a taco shell cooking utensil that is easier to use, safer because it requires less cooking oil and results in a better cooked taco shell. 
     In one general aspect of the present invention, the cooking utensil for frying taco shells comprises a shell section, a handle assembly and a brace assembly interconnecting the shell section and the handle assembly. The shell section is made up of a first shell member having a substantially U-shaped body defining an open first end and an opposing second end and a second shell member having a substantially U-shaped body defining an open first end and an opposing second end. The second shell member is disposed in the open first end of the first shell member such that the two shell members are in substantially nesting relation with each other. The preferred handle assembly generally comprises a first handle member, a second handle member, a tubular outer shaft having a first end and a second end, and an inner shaft having a first end and a second end, and a biasing mechanism for biasing the second handle member away from the first handle member (i.e., towards the shell section). The inner shaft is slidably disposed inside the tubular outer shaft. The first end of the outer shaft is connected to the first handle member and the second end of the outer shaft is slidably attached to a proximal end of the brace assembly. The first end of the inner shaft is attached to the second handle member and the second end of the inner shaft is pivotally attached to the second shell member. The second handle member is moveably disposed in a cavity on the distal or shell section side of the first handle member. The biasing mechanism is disposed inside the cavity to bias the second handle member out of the cavity and, by way of the inner shaft, to substantially linearly displace the second shell member towards its nesting relation with the first shell member. A connecting mechanism slidably connects the second end of the outer shaft to an aperture at the proximal end of the handle assembly. The distal end of the brace assembly fixedly connects to or is integral with the first shell member. The second end of the inner shaft extends outwardly of the second end of the outer shaft and passes through an aperture on an inner stabilizer brace to pivotally connect to the second shell member. In this manner, one side of the shell section can be maintained against the cooking surface in a relatively small amount of cooking oil while the handle assembly pivots upward to adjust for different heights of frying pan sidewalls. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the sides and bottom of the body portion of the first and second shell members have a plurality of small holes to reduce spattering of the cooking oil. Also, the first and second handle members are preferably configured to allow the user to ergonomically grasp the handle and pull on the second handle member so as to displace it into the cavity of the first handle member, thereby placing the first and second shell members in spaced apart relation to allow a tortilla to be inserted therebetween. When the pressure on the second handle member is released, the biasing mechanism, which is preferably a spring, biases the second handle member out of the cavity and linearly displaces the second shell member towards the nesting relation with the first shell member to secure the tortilla in the cooking utensil. The shell section is then placed into heated cooking oil in a frying pan to alternatively cook one side of the tortilla at a time, flipping the cooking utensil over as needed to cook the opposite side. When the tortilla is cooked into a taco shell, the user again applies pressure to the second handle member to move the second shell section away from the taco shell and in spaced apart relation to the first shell section so as to facilitate easy removal of the cooked taco shell without damage thereto. To reduce the effect of heat transfer from the frying pan to the cooking utensil and to allow for different sizes of frying pans, a wire heat dissipating element is provided on the outer shaft that has one or more notched sections. In the preferred embodiment, the first and second handle members are made out of plastic and the remaining components are made out of stainless steel. 
     Accordingly, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a cooking utensil for frying taco shells that provides the advantages discussed above and overcomes the disadvantages and limitations associated with presently available taco shell cooking devices. 
     It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a cooking utensil for frying taco shells that provides an easier and safer device for cooking soft, generally flat tortillas into hard, U-shaped taco shells by frying the tortilla in cooking oil. 
     It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a cooking utensil for frying taco shells that has a handle assembly which is easier to grip and to manipulate when forming a tortilla into a taco shell. 
     It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a cooking utensil for frying taco shells that has a taco forming section which receives a tortilla and forms it into the desired U-shape for taco shells and which can release the taco shell therefrom without damaging the cooked taco shell. 
     It is also an important objective of the present invention to provide a cooking utensil for frying taco shells that is configured for use with frying pans and the like having different height sidewalls so as to fry a tortilla in a relatively small amount of cooking oil. 
     The above and other objectives of the present invention will become readily apparent and are explained in greater detail by reference to the attached figures and the description of the preferred embodiment which follows. As set forth herein, the present invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, mode of operation and/or combination of processes presently described and understood by the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiments and the best modes presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective top view of a cooking utensil for frying taco shells configured according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in use in a frying pan to cook a tortilla; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the cooking utensil for frying taco shells of  FIG. 1  shown without the heat dissipating device; 
         FIG. 3  is an front perspective view of the shell section and brace assembly of the cooking utensil of the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a side perspective view of the first shell section and brace assembly of the cooking utensil of the preferred embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the second shell section with the inner shaft attached thereto; 
         FIG. 6  is a front perspective view shown the brace assembly attached to the shell section of the cooking utensil of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the first and second handle sections of the cooking utensil of the preferred embodiment showing the second handle section in its biased position; 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the first and second handle sections of the cooking utensil of the preferred embodiment showing the second handle section pulled into the cavity of the first handle section; and 
         FIG. 9  is a top perspective view of a tortilla and a taco shell. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to the figures where like elements have been given like numerical designations to facilitate the reader&#39;s understanding of the present invention, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are set forth below. The enclosed figures and drawings are merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment and represent one of several different ways of configuring the present invention. Although specific components, materials, configurations and uses are illustrated, it should be understood that a number of variations to the components and to the configuration of those components described herein and in the accompanying figures can be made without changing the scope and function of the invention set forth herein. For purposes of simplifying the present disclosure, reference herein is generally to use of the present invention to cook a soft tortilla into a taco shell. However, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, the disclosure is not so limited as it is adaptable to cook other food ingredients into shell-like food products. 
     A cooking utensil for frying taco shells that is manufactured out of the components and configured pursuant to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown generally as  10  in the figures. In the preferred embodiment, cooking utensil  10  is utilized to cook a tortilla  12  into a taco shell  14  in a frying pan  16 , or the like, as best shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  9 . As will be described in more detail below, frying pan  16  generally contains cooking oil (not shown), such as olive oil or the like, in which cooking utensil  10 , configured to secure tortilla  12  therein, is placed to fry tortilla  12  into taco shell  14 . The typical frying pan  16  has a cooking surface  18  that is surrounded by an upwardly extending sidewall  20  having an upper edge or rim  22 . Although the present invention is described as being utilized with frying pan  16 , those skilled in the art will readily understand that the cooking utensil  10  of the present invention can be utilized with other types of cooking containers, including pots and deep fryers. As will be explained in more detail below, one advantage of the cooking utensil  10  of the present invention is that less cooking oil is needed (i.e., a lower level of such oil in the pan  16 ) than with some prior art taco shell cooking devices. This reduces the splattering that is typical of using cooking oil in a frying pan or other cooking containers, thereby reducing the risk that the cook will burn his or her hand and/or arm. It is also well known that during use of frying pan  16 , it is intended that frying pan  16  get quite hot. This heat can transfer to any cooking utensil that is in contact with the hot cooking surface  18  and/or upper edge  22 . As such, it is important to configure cooking utensil  10  to minimize heat transfer thereto so as to lessen the likelihood that the cook will burn his or her hands. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , cooking utensil  10  generally comprises a shell section  24  configured to securely receive a soft, generally flat tortilla  12 , a handle assembly  26  configured to be held and operated by the cook and a brace assembly  28  configured to join the shell section  24  to the handle assembly  26 . Shell section  24  is generally made up of a first shell member  30  and a second shell member  32  that are both folded into the generally U-shaped configuration that is desired for taco shell  14 . In the preferred embodiment, both first  30  and second  32  shell members will start off as a substantially flat plate that is folded into the desired shape, such that first shell member  30  will have a substantially U-shaped body  34  having an open first end  36 , a closed second end  38  forming a trough-like bottom  40  and opposing sides  42 , and second shell member  32  will have a substantially U-shaped body  44  having an open first end  46 , a closed second end  48  forming a trough-like bottom  50  and opposing sides  52 , as best shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . In an alternative embodiment, the second ends  38  and  48  of first  30  and second  32  shell members, respectively, can be partially or substantially open, as it is only necessary that the trough-like bottoms  40  and  50  of second ends  38  and  48  be configured to adequately support tortilla  12  inside cooking utensil  10  so that tortilla  12  does not fall out of cooking utensil  10  during use. As shown in the figures, in the preferred embodiment the sides  42  and bottom  40  of the U-shaped body  34  of first shell member  30  are provided with a plurality of through holes  54  and the sides  52  and bottom  50  of the U-shaped body  44  of second shell member  32  is provided with a plurality of through holes  56 . The holes  54  and  56  of first  30  and second  32  shell members, respectively, are provided to facilitate the flow of the heated cooking oil to tortilla  12  when it its disposed inside cooking utensil  10  so as to obtain a more evenly cooked taco shell  14  and reduce splatter of the cooking oil. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , first shell member  30  and second shell member  32  are in a substantially nesting relation, with second shell member  32  disposed in or through the open first end  36  of first shell member  30 . During non-use of cooking utensil  10 , the outer side of bottom  50  of second shell member  32  will be in abutting (i.e., completely nested) or near abutting relation with the inner side of bottom  40  of first shell member  30 . During use of cooking utensil  10  to cook tortilla  12  into taco shell  14 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , tortilla  12  is disposed between first shell member  30  and second shell member  32  so as to be securely held therein. When it is desired to insert tortilla  12  into cooking utensil  10  or remove the cooked taco shell  14  therefrom, first shell member  30  and second shell member  32  are in spaced apart relation, as best shown in  FIG. 3 . As set forth in more detail below, the cook operates handle assembly  26  to linearly move and either selectively join or separate first shell member  30  and second shell member  32  to insert tortilla  12  or remove taco shell  14 . 
     As set forth above, interconnecting the shell section  24  and handle assembly  26  is a brace assembly  28 . In the preferred embodiment of cooking utensil  10  of the present invention, brace assembly  28  attaches to or is integral with first shell member  30 , as best shown in  FIG. 4 . Preferably, as explained more below, brace assembly  28  is cooperatively configured with handle assembly  26  such that first shell member  30  can pivot relative to handle assembly  26  so as to maintain one of its sides  42  against cooking surface  18 , as shown in  FIG. 1 , so that only a relatively small amount of oil is necessary to fry tortilla  12  into taco shell  14 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , brace assembly  28  has a proximal end  58  and a distal end  60 , the positioning being relative to handle assembly  26 , and comprises an outer stabilizer brace  62  and an inner stabilizer brace  64 . Outer stabilizer brace  62  has a transverse member  66  defining the proximal end  58  of brace assembly  28  and inner stabilizer brace  64  has a transverse member  68  at its distal end, though separate from distal end  60  of brace assembly  28 , that is in spaced apart relation to the transverse member  66  of outer stabilizer brace  62 . The distal end  60  of brace assembly  28  attaches to first shell member  30 , preferably at the first end  36  thereof, as shown in  FIG. 4 . In the preferred embodiment, brace assembly  28  is fixedly attached to first shell member  30  so as to stiffen and generally stabilize first shell member  30  in the U-shaped configuration shown. In an alternative embodiment, brace assembly  28  is integral with first shell member  30  at the distal ends of outer stabilizer brace  62 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , inner stabilizer brace  64  extends toward first shell member  30  from, preferably, the transverse member  66  of outer stabilizer brace  62 . In the preferred embodiment, outer stabilizer brace  62  and inner stabilizer brace  64  are integral. The width of transverse member  68  of inner stabilizer brace  64  is configured to be slightly less than the width of the open first end  46  of second shell member  32 , as best shown in  FIG. 2 , such that when second shell member  32  is in spaced apart relation to first shell member  30  (i.e., as shown in  FIG. 3 ), the first end  46  of second shell member  32  will pass over inner stabilizer brace  64  and between it and outer stabilizer brace  62 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     Transverse member  66  of outer stabilizer brace  62 , which is the proximal end  58  of brace assembly  28 , is provided with aperture  70 , and likewise, transverse member  68  of inner stabilizer brace  64  is provided with aperture  72 , as best shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6 . As explained in more detail below apertures  70  and  72  are configured to cooperatively engage and/or receive components of handle assembly  26 . To provide the pivoting action desired for cooking utensil  10  of the present invention, apertures  70  and  72  are preferably elongated, in the nature of a slot or slit in transverse members  66  and  68 . The function of apertures  70  and  72  are set forth in more detail below. 
     Handle assembly  28  generally comprises a first handle member  74 , a second handle member  76 , an tubular outer shaft  78 , an inner shaft  80 , a connecting mechanism  82  configured to slidably connect outer shaft  78  to the proximal end  58  of brace assembly  28  at aperture  70  and a connector  83  (such as a screw or the like), as best shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . As these figures illustrate, first handle member  74  has an interior cavity  84  in which a portion of second handle member  76  is moveably received. A biasing mechanism  86 , such as the spring shown, is disposed inside cavity  84  and is configured to bias second handle member  76  out of cavity  84  towards shell section  24 . In the preferred embodiment, shown in the figures, the proximal end of second handle member  76  has a V-shaped section that engages the distal end of biasing mechanism  86  so as to hold biasing mechanism  86  in place. Connector  83  retains outer shaft  78  in first handle member  74 , by passing at least partially therethrough, and functions as a stop member to prevent rearward movement of biasing mechanism  86 . As explained more below, the biasing of second handle member  76  out of cavity  84 , which is shown in  FIG. 7 , will push second shell member  32  towards its nesting or abutting relation with first shell member  30 , whereas the application of a force against second handle member  76 , such as applied by the user of cooking utensil  10  with his or her fingers, that is sufficient to overcome the biasing force will push second handle member  76  into cavity  84 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , and draw shell member  32  from first shell member  30  so as to place the two shell members  30  and  32  in spaced apart relation, as shown in  FIG. 3 . To achieve the above operation, the first end  88  of outer tubular shaft  78  is connected to first handle member  74  beyond the proximal end of cavity  84  by connector  83 , the second end  90  of outer tubular shaft  78  is connected to the proximal end  58  of brace assembly  28 , inner shaft  80  is slidably disposed in outer tubular shaft  78 , the first end  92  of inner shaft  80  is connected to the proximal end of second handle member  76  and the second end  94  of inner shaft  80  is connected to second shell member  32 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  6  through  8 . Second handle member  76  is sized and configured to slidably fit within the opening defined by cavity  84  inside first handle member  74  and first end  92  of inner shaft  80  is connected to second handle member  76  such that the movement of second handle member  76  into cavity  84  pulls inner shaft with it. In the preferred embodiment, outer shaft  78  is attached at its proximal end to first handle member  74  with a screw or other connector  83  and, at its opposite end, to transverse member  66  of outer stabilizer brace  62  at the proximal end  58  of brace assembly  28  such that outer shaft does not move. In this embodiment, the second end  94  of inner shaft  80  extends beyond the second end  90  of outer shaft  78 . As best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the second end  94  of inner shaft  80  extends through aperture  72  in inner stabilizer brace  64  to fixedly connect to the bottom  50  of second shell member  32 . An inner shell brace  96 , best shown in  FIG. 3 , interconnects the second end  94  of inner shaft  80  with the bottom  50  of second shell member  32  such that the substantially linear movement of inner shaft  80  towards first handle member  74  will draw second shell member  32  away from its nesting relation with first shell member  30 . In the preferred embodiment, inner shell brace  96  comprises a swivel screw assembly having a retainer element  97 , such as a cotter pin or the like, that allows inner shaft  80  to freely pivot relative to second shell member  32 , thereby maintaining the side  42  to side  52  relation of first  30  and second  32  shell members when laying against cooking surface  18 . 
     As set forth above, in the preferred embodiment of cooking utensil  10  of the present invention, handle assembly  26  is configured to pivot relative to shell section  24 . More specifically, first  74  and second  76  handle members, outer  78  and inner  80  shafts and the swivel screw assembly at inner shell brace  96  are configured to pivot relative to first shell member  30 , second shell member  32  and brace assembly  82 . As stated above, in the preferred embodiment connecting mechanism  82  is configured to allow the second end  90  of outer shaft  78  to slidably engage aperture  70  in outer stabilizer brace  62  at the proximal end  58  of brace assembly  28 . In a preferred configuration, connecting mechanism  82  comprises an outer washer  98  welded to outer shaft  78  near its second end  90 , such that it is positioned on the proximal side of transverse member  66 , and an inner retainer washer  100  at the second end  90  of outer shaft  78  that is positioned on the distal side of transverse member  68 , such that the two washers  98  and  100  essentially straddle the transverse member  68 , as best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Preferably, transverse member  66  has a slight curvature thereto and outer  98  and inner  100  washers are flared or otherwise shaped to correspond to the curvature of transverse member  66  to facilitate smooth pivoting movement of outer shaft  78 . As connecting mechanism  82  slides along transverse member  66  to pivot handle assembly  26 , inner shaft will correspondingly move inside aperture  72  of transverse member  68  and pivot second shell member  32 , although only somewhat slightly. The pivoting of outer shaft  78 , as well as the rest of handle assembly  26 , relative to first shell member  30  allows the cook to keep one side  42  of the U-shaped body  34  of first shell member  30  against cooking surface  18  when in use to make taco shell  14  no matter how high, within reason, the sidewall  20  may be relative to the cooking surface  18  of frying pan  16 . In this manner, the cook can use a low level or volume of cooking oil in frying pan  16  and fry one side of tortilla  12  at a time, flipping cooking utensil  10  over to fry the other side. The low level of cooking oil in frying pan  16  is much preferred so as to reduce the splatter of hot oil and, therefore, the likelihood of injury to the cook. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  7  and  8 , the first  74  and second  76  handle members are configured to provide a more ergonomic and comfortable grip for the user utilizing cooking utensil  10  of the present invention. The sides  102  and  104  of first handle member  74  preferably shaped and configured to be held in the hand of a variety of different size people having different sized hands. Preferably, the thumb and the ring and pinky fingers will be able to wrap around first handle member  74  to comfortably hold first handle member  74  in the palm of the user&#39;s hand. The distal end  106  of second handle member  76  should be shaped and configured to receive the user&#39;s pointer and index fingers so that he or she may easily pull second handle member  76  into cavity  84  inside first handle member  74 , as discussed above, to draw second shell member  32  away from its nesting relation with first shell member  30 . 
     As stated above, when cooking utensil  10  or any other cooking utensil rests against the upper edge  22  of sidewall  20  some of the heat from frying pan  16  will transfer to cooking utensil  10 . To dissipate some of this heat, cooking utensil  10  of the present invention preferably includes a heat dissipating element  108  on outer shaft  78 , as best shown in  FIG. 1 . Heat dissipating element  108  is configured to rest against upper edge  22  and place outer shaft  78  in spaced apart relation to sidewall  20  so as to reduce the efficiency of the heat transfer to cooking utensil  10 . In the preferred configuration, heat dissipating element  108  is a wire member that is configured to have a length that allows the user to utilize its benefits for different sizes of frying pans  16 . Heat dissipating element  108  is provided with a plurality of notched sections  110  that receive the upper edge  22  of sidewall  20  and safely hold cooking utensil  10  in place with shell section  24  against cooking surface  18 . 
     Cooking utensil  10  of the present invention can be made out of a wide variety of different materials. Preferably, the materials are selected to be relatively lightweight, heat resistant, resistant to cooking oil and sufficiently rigid to accomplish the objectives of the present invention. As an example, but not intended to limit the present invention, first  74  and second  76  handle members can be made out of plastic for comfort and to avoid issues with regard to heat from frying pan  16  and the remaining components can be made out of stainless steel, aluminum or other metals, preferably those which are intended to be food grade quality and able to withstand the rigors of machine washing. If desired, the outer surface of first shell member  30 , which is the part of cooking utensil  10  that contacts cooking surface  18 , can be coated with Teflon® or other non-stick material to avoid sticking issues. The sizes of holes  54  and  56  in first  30  and second  32  shell members, respectively, can be selected so as to best reduce any splattering of cooking oil while allowing sufficient heated oil into tortilla  12  to form taco shell  14 . Although cooking utensil  10  can be of virtually any size, it is preferred that it be manufactured to correspond with typically available tortillas  12  and frying pans  16 . In use, the user grasps first handle member  74  in the palm of his or her hand and uses their index and pointer fingers to pull second handle member  76  into cavity  84 , thereby linearly drawing second shell member  32  away from its nesting relation with first shell member  30 . A tortilla  12  is folded and inserted into the gap between first shell member  30  and second shell member  32  so as to substantially align itself with first  30  and second  32  shell members. The user then releases the pressure on second handle member  76  to allow the biasing mechanism  86  to push second shell member  32  against the tortilla  12  so as to secure it between the first  30  and second  32  shell members, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The shell section  24  is then lowered into a frying pan  16  or other cooking container having a sufficient amount of cooking oil to cover and fry at least one side of the tortilla. Once the first side is fried, the user flips cooking utensil  10  over to cook the other side of tortilla  12 , thereby forming taco shell  14 . With taco shell  14  now cooked, the user removes cooking utensil  10  from the frying pan  16  and then applies pressure to second handle member  76  to push it into cavity  84  and linearly draw second shell member  32  away from taco shell  14 , placing second shell member in spaced apart relation thereto and to first shell member  30 , so the user may remove taco shell  14  from cooking utensil  10 . Unlike some of the prior art devices, cooking utensil  10  of the present invention allows the user to easily remove taco shell  14  without damaging it. 
     While there are shown and described herein specific forms of the invention, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but is susceptible to various modifications and rearrangements in design and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In particular, it should be noted that the present invention is subject to modification with regard to any dimensional relationships set forth herein, which are merely presented for exemplary purposes, and modifications in assembly, materials, size, shape, and use. For instance, there are numerous components described herein that can be replaced with equivalent functioning components to accomplish the objectives of the present invention.