Patent ID: 7866257

Claim:
A cooking utensil for frying a tortilla into a taco shell, said cooking utensil comprising: a first shell member having a substantially U-shaped body with an open first end and an opposing second end; a second shell member having a substantially U-shaped body with an open first end and an opposing second end, said second shell member disposed in said open first end of said first shell member in substantially nesting relation with said first shell member; a brace assembly attached to said first shell member; a tubular outer shaft having a first end and a second end, said second end of said outer shaft attached to said brace assembly; an inner shaft having a first end and a second end, said inner shaft moveably disposed in said outer shaft, said second end of inner shaft extending beyond said second end of said outer shaft and attached said second shell member; and a handle assembly having a first handle member attached to said first end of said outer shaft, a second handle member attached to said first end of said inner shaft and means interconnecting said first handle member and said second handle member for biasing said second handle member away from said first handle member, wherein said means for biasing biases said second handle member, said inner shaft and said second shell member towards said first shell member so as to secure said tortilla between said first shell member and said second shell member and wherein movement of said second handle member into said cavity of said first handle member draws said second shell member toward said brace assembly so as to place said first shell member and said second shell member in space apart relation for insertion of said tortilla therebetween and removal of said taco shell therefrom.