Toll-free telephone services and Web sites offer a variety of specialist answers to cooking and food-safety questions during holiday preparation times. Here are some of them:
-U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: (888) 674-6854. Food safety specialists answer calls about meat and poultry preparation and cooking questions, year-round Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day at the same number. Also available in Spanish.
On the Net:
-Butterball Turkey Talk-Line: (800) 288-8372. Home economists and nutritionists answer holiday cooks' questions, in both English and Spanish, for callers in the United States and Canada. Callers can request a free pamphlet with safety and cooking tips and recipes.
Through Dec. 23, weekdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST.
Dec. 24 to Dec. 25, Christmas Eve-Christmas Day, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dec. 26, day after Christmas, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Automated assistance available outside the above hours and all year long.
On the Net:
-Foster Farms Turkey Helpline: (800) 255-7227. Turkey-cooking questions are answered and information given 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday.
On the Net:
-Perdue consumer help line: (800) 473-7383. Consumer-relations representatives answer cooking, storage and other questions about poultry products weekdays year-round (except Christmas Day) 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. Free booklet offer with tips on safe handling of poultry.
On the Net:
-Shady Brook Farms: (888) 723-4468.
-Honeysuckle White: (800) 810-6325.
Automated holiday-meal information lines offer 24-hour service every day throughout the holidays, including meal planning, buying and cooking turkeys.
On the Net:
http://www.shadybrookfarms.com
http://www.honeysucklewhite.com
-Empire Kosher poultry customer hotline: (800) 367-4734, or (717) 436-5921. Help is offered by consumer-affairs representatives year-round Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST; Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST. Program offers recipes, newsletter, tips on defrosting and cooking poultry. Closed Jewish and secular holidays.
On the Net:
-Ocean Spray consumer help line (800) 662-3263. Year-round, weekdays (except Christmas Day, New Year's Day and other major holidays) 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. Consumer department staff field questions on cranberries, offer recipes, cooking tips, nutritional information, menu-planning worksheets, product information.
On the Net:
-Reynolds Turkey Tips Line (800) 745-4000. A year-round 24-hour automated hot line; through Dec. 31 offers advice on turkey defrosting, preparation and cooking options, free brochure and recipes.
On the Net:
http://www.reynoldskitchens.com.
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Also on the Net:
http://www.mccormick.com. Includes a holiday entertaining guide.
http://www.starchefs.com. Holiday recipes, with tips from professional chefs and cookbook writers.
http://www.southernfood.about.com offers Christmas and holiday recipes, information and cooking tips.
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