Wednesday, November 19, 2008
WHERE TO GET HELP
Toll-free hot lines and Web sites offer answers to cooking and food-safety questions for the holidays.
For poultry and meat prep and food safety:
U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: (888) 674-6854 or www.fsis.usda.gov. Food-safety specialists answer calls 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays year-round — except Thanksgiving Day, when hours are 8 a.m.-2 p.m. The Web site has a 24-hour automated response system; recorded information is available 24 hours a day. Service also available in Spanish.
And some food companies:
Butterball Turkey Talk-Line: (800) 288-8372 or butterball.com. Home economists and nutritionists answer questions in English and Spanish. Through Nov. 26: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays; 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving Day); 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 28. Check Web site for 24-hour automated assistance and info on other resources.
Crisco Pie Hotline: (877) 367-7438 or crisco.com. Baking experts answer questions about pie-making 8 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays, with extended hours (7 a.m.-7 p.m.) through Saturday and Dec. 18-22. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Dec. 24-25. Recorded information is available 24 hours daily. Online, click on “Articles and Tips,” then “Pie Central” for more resources.
King Arthur Flour Co. Bakers Hotline: (802) 649-3717. Baking experts answer questions 7 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat.-Sun. through December. Exceptions: 8 a.m.-noon Dec. 24; closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day; 8 a.m-5 p.m. Dec. 31. You can also e-mail questions to bakerskingarthurflour.com or visit online, kingarthurflour.com. LiveChat is at www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes2008.
Perdue consumer help line: (800) 473-7383 or perdue.com. Representatives answer cooking, storage and other questions about poultry. Regular hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Holiday hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Tues.; 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Nov. 26; 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. Closed Nov. 23 and Christmas Day.
More help online:
eatturkey.com: The National Turkey Federation offers Thanksgiving recipes and cooking tips.
epicurious.com: Recipes and articles from Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines, including a Thanksgiving primer.
foodnetwork.com: The cable food network site has tips, recipes and videos from their lineup of celebrity chefs and hosts.
kraftfoods.com: The food company’s Web site offers recipes, cooking tips and a holiday entertaining guide.
landolakes.com: Land O’Lakes offers tips, techniques and recipes, for the feast.
recipezaar.com: Site where readers share recipes has plenty of those, and tips too.
Chicago Tribune