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Toll-free telephone services and Web sites offer a variety of specialists' answers to cooking and food-safety questions about holiday meal preparation. Here are some of them:
* U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: Toll-free 1-888-674-6854. Food-safety specialists answer calls about meat and poultry preparation and cooking questions, year-round 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Thanksgiving Day, when hours will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day at the same number. Also available in Spanish.
On the Web: fsis.usda.gov
* Butterball Turkey Talk-Line: Toll-free 1-800-288-8372. Home economists and nutritionists answer holiday cooks' questions, in both English and Spanish, in the United States and Canada. Callers can request a free pamphlet with safety and cooking tips and recipes.
Today, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday to Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Thanksgiving Day, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Nov. 26 to Dec. 23, weekdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Dec. 26, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Automated assistance available outside the above hours and all year long.
On the Web: butterball.com
* Foster Farms Turkey Helpline: Toll-free 1-800-255-7227. Turkey-cooking questions are answered and information given by live operators 24 hours a day through Nov. 29 (including Thanksgiving Day). After that, the helpline is available 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
On the Web: fosterfarms.com.
* Perdue consumer help line: Toll-free 1-800-473-7383. Consumer-relations representatives answer cooking, storage and other questions about poultry products weekdays year-round (except Nov. 28 and Christmas Day), 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free booklet offered with tips on safe handling of poultry.
Special schedule Thanksgiving week: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.
On the Web: perdue.com
* Shady Brook Farms: toll-free 1-888-723-4468 and Honeysuckle White: toll-free 1-800-810-6325.
Automated holiday-meal information lines offer 24-hour service every day throughout the holidays, including help with meal planning, and buying and cooking turkeys.
On the Web: shadybrookfarms.com and honeysucklewhite.com
* Empire Kosher poultry customer hotline: toll-free 1-800-367-4734. Help is offered by consumer-affairs representatives year-round 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. Program offers recipes, newsletter, tips on defrosting and cooking poultry. Closed Jewish and secular holidays.
On the Web: empirekosher.com.
* Ocean Spray consumer help line: toll-free 1-800-662-3263. Year-round, weekdays (open Thanksgiving Day; but not Christmas Day, New Year's Day and other major holidays), 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The consumer department staff fields questions on cranberries, offer recipes, cooking tips, nutritional information, menu-planning worksheets and product information.
On the Web: oceanspray.com.
* Reynolds Turkey Tips Line: toll-free 1-800-745-4000. A year-round 24-hour automated hotline; through Dec. 31 offers advice on turkey defrosting, preparation and cooking options, free brochure and recipes.
On the Web: reynoldskitchens.com.
Other useful Web sites:
* Turkeyhelp.com. Cook's Illustrated magazine's site features detailed guidance and recipes, for preparing turkey and all the trimmings, including apple and pumpkin pies, with bright step-by-step visuals.
* Eatturkey.com. The National Turkey Federation Web site has Thanksgiving recipes and cooking tips, among its year-round general information.
* Mccormick.com. Includes a holiday entertaining guide.
* Starchefs.com/thanksgiving/2004/html/index.shtml. Thanksgiving and holiday recipes, with tips from professional chefs and cookbook writers, from turkey through desserts.
* Southernfood.about.com offers Thanksgiving recipes and turkey information and hints.
* Bhg.com. Offers Thanksgiving planning and advice.