Apparatus and methods for fabricating food items

Extrusion apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a manifold having a front face, a rear face, and at least one passage extending to the front face;
• a nozzle closing the at least one passage;
• and a drive element rotatably mounted relative to the manifold with the at least one passage extending therethrough, with the nozzle being removably mounted to the drive element, with at least one lug extending from one of the drive element and the nozzle, and with an L-shaped slot slideably receiving the at least one lug extending from a free end of the other of the drive element and the nozzle, with the L-shaped slot including an axially extending portion extending from the free end and interconnecting at an interconnection with a circumferentially extending portion.

Extrusion apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a manifold having a front face, a rear face, and multiple passages extending to the front face, with each of the passages including an outer stem secured to the front face of the manifold, with the outer stem having a central conduit of a size and shape corresponding to the passage, a drive element rotatably mounted upon the outer stem, and a nozzle mounted upon the drive element and closing the central conduit;
• and a rotatable power source including a rotatable shaft, with the drive elements of the multiple passages being in driving relation with the rotatable shaft, wherein the drive element is in the form of a gear, with the drive elements of the multiple passages and of the rotatable shaft being in direct interengaging gearing relation and wherein the rotatable power source rotates the rotatable shaft in different directions and at different speeds.