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Help is just a call or a click away

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published November 19, 2006

The stuffing is dry, the turkey is pink and your relatives are irritating. Rather than let your holiday dinner turn disastrous, consider reaching out to the many groups that offer kitchen help. Their advice can't fix your loved ones, but it could prevent you from hospitalizing them.

Associated Press

- Butterball Turkey Talk Line: toll-free 1-800-288-8372. Experts answer holiday cooks' questions, in English or Spanish, for callers in the United States and Canada. Callers can request a free pamphlet with safety and cooking tips and recipes. Operates most weekdays in November until 9 p.m. and until 7 p.m. in December. Automated assistance is always available. Butterball also offers turkey help podcasts for download at www.butterball.com.

- Empire Kosher poultry customer hotline: toll-free 1-800-367-4734. Help is offered year-round from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. On the Web: www.empirekosher.com/index.htm.

- Foster Farms Turkey Helpline: toll-free 1-800-255-7227. Turkey-cooking questions are answered and information is given 24 hours a day Nov. 15 through Nov. 27. On the Web: www.fosterfarms.com.

- Ocean Spray consumer help line: toll-free 1-800-662-3263. Year-round from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Offers help with cranberries, as well as recipes, cooking tips, nutritional information and menu-planning worksheets. On the Web: www.oceanspray.com.

- Perdue consumer help line: toll-free 1-800-473-7383. Company representatives answer cooking, storage and other questions about poultry products, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. most weekdays. On the Web: www.perdue.com.

- Reynolds Turkey Tips Hotline: toll-free 1-800-745-4000. A 24-hour automated hotline; advice on turkey defrosting, preparation and cooking options, free brochure and recipes. On the Web: www. reynoldskitchens.com.

- U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: toll-free 1-888-674-6854. Food safety specialists answer calls in English or Spanish about meat and poultry preparation and cooking questions, year-round from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, except Thanksgiving Day, when hours will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day at the same number. On the Web: www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Safety_Education/usda_meat_&_poultry_hotline/index.asp.

Additional information is available online:

- Cook's Illustrated magazine: www.turkeyhelp.com. The site features detailed guidance and recipes for preparing turkey and all the trimmings, including apple and pumpkin pies, with bright step-by-step visuals.

- Epicurious.com: www.epicurious.com. Offers a Thanksgiving primer and other help.

- Fine Cooking magazine: www.taunton.com/finecooking. Site includes Thanksgiving survival guide.

- Honeysuckle White: www. honeysucklewhite.com.

- McCormick: www.mccormick.com. Includes a holiday entertaining guide and recipes.

- National Turkey Federation: www.eatturkey.com. The site has Thanksgiving recipes and cooking tips.

- Shady Brook Farms: www.shadybrookfarms.com.

[Last modified November 17, 2006, 08:48:27]