Food
Last-minute tips for Thanksgiving dinner by phone, online
01:00 AM EST on Thursday, November 27, 2008

Tips from the pros can help bring a terrific turkey to the table.
MCT / Bob Fila
Dinner at your house today?
Everybody wants to help you. Hotlines (and it can’t
hurt to ask for a coupon if you call):
•Butterball Turkey Talk-Line: (800) 288-8372. Home economists and nutritionists answer questions in English and Spanish from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow. Check butterball.com for 24-hour automated assistance and info on other resources.
•Crisco Pie Hotline: Though the line isn’t staffed today, you can access videos with troubleshooting tips, step-by-step visual instructions to create pie crusts and recipes using seasonal ingredients at crisco.com. If you’re in a pie-making mood tomorrow or anytime after, (877) 367-7438 offers a live pie expert 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday with the line available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 15-23.
•Empire Kosher poultry customer hot line: (800) 367-4734. Help is offered year-round Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
•Fleischmann’s Yeast Baker’s Help Line: (800) 777-4959 has recorded messages about yeast, including storing it, checking if it’s viable, substituting different types of yeast and more. Talk to a consumer representative 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. At breadworld.com, recipes and tips for using yeast.
•Jennie-O Holiday Turkey Hotline is 800-turkeys, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including Thanksgiving Day. At jennieo.com, find recipes, tips, and a FAQ section that tells you the plastic that ties the legs together is called a hock-lock.
•Land O’ Lakes Holiday Baking Hotline, (800) 782-9606, answers questions and gives advice about baking. It operates daily through Dec. 24 from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Callers will receive a leaflet of year-round baking tips and recipes for holiday sweets.
•Loews Hotel Wine Line: E-mail your questions to wineline@loewshotels.com, where certified sommeliers will help guide you through your wine pairing or wine gift-giving dilemmas, no matter your budget, through Dec. 31. They recommend serving a Pinot Noir with turkey; their Holiday wine FAQs suggest a Viognier if you also want a white.
•Nestle Toll House Baking Information Line: (800) 637-8537 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., through Jan. 5.
•Ocean Spray consumer help line: (800) 662-3263. Year-round, weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Offers help with cranberries as well as recipes, cooking tips, nutritional information and menu-planning worksheets.
•Perdue consumer help line: (800) 473-7383 or www.perdue.com. Representatives answer cooking, storage and other questions about poultry. Regular hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Holiday hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Tuesday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. Closed Christmas Day.
•Reynolds Turkey Tips Hotline: (800) 745-4000. A year-round 24-hour automated hot line from the aluminum foil people; through Dec. 31 they offer advice on turkey defrosting, preparation and cooking options; free brochure and recipes.
•U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: (888) 674-6854. Food-safety specialists answer calls 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays year-round — except Thanksgiving Day, when hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Web site, fsis.usda.gov, has a 24-hour automated response system; recorded information is available 24 hours a day. Service also available in Spanish.
Chef’s secret: Remember, if the turkey is overcooked and the vegetables are cold, hot gravy covers a multitude of sins.
A final option — thank goodness for restaurants open on Thanksgiving. For a list, go to projo.com/seasonal/
thanksgiving/.
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