Patent ID: 8474649

Claim:
A dish for serving chilled food while tending to keep the foods therein chilled, the dish comprising in combination: an upper receptacle having an open upper end adapted to allow access into a recess; said upper receptacle surrounded laterally by at least one side; said side formed of a rigid material; a lower enclosure, said lower enclosure abutting the upper receptacle at an interface adapted to allow heat transfer between said upper receptacle and said lower enclosure; said lower enclosure having at least portions thereof adjacent said upper receptacle; said lower enclosure substantially enclosing an interior space; a thermal mass located within said interior space of said lower enclosure, said thermal mass formed of a material having a greater than average heat capacity; wherein said side of said upper receptacle extends down from said open upper end to join a substantially flat bottom surface, said bottom surface of said upper receptacle defining at least a portion of said interface with said lower enclosure, said lower enclosure having a substantially flat top wall abutting said bottom surface, said top wall of said lower enclosure defining a second portion of said interface between said upper receptacle and said lower enclosure; wherein said bottom surface of said upper receptacle and said top wall of said lower enclosure are removably attached together with direct contact when attached to facilitate conduction heat transfer between said bottom surface of said upper receptacle and said top wall of said lower enclosure; and wherein a complementally formed threaded ring and threaded cylinder define two portions of said interface between said bottom surface of said upper receptacle and said top wall of said lower enclosure, with one of said threaded ring and said threaded cylinder fixed to said bottom surface of said upper receptacle and one of said threaded ring and said threaded cylinder fixed to said top wall of said lower enclosure, with said threaded ring and said threaded cylinder removably attachable to each other and providing direct conduction heat transfer between said bottom surface of said upper receptacle and said top wall of said lower enclosure, when said threaded ring and said threaded cylinder are mated together.