In A Turkey Emergency? Call Hotline

Is the turkey thawing in the refrigerator?

If not, get it in there now and you might be able to enjoy it at tomorrow’s feast. And if it’s still frozen in the morning, no fear, call a turkey hotline for advice.

Butterball’s Turkey Talk Line is celebrating its 20th anniversary of helping people resolve their turkey traumas ranging from safe handling to properly storing leftovers.

In fact, according to a press release, Butterball experts have answered 2.4 million turkey questions in the past 20 years.

“What’s the best way to thaw a turkey?” is one of the most asked questions of all time — drawing more than 226,000 inquires.

This year, confused cooks have more ways to avert turkey traumas. In addition to telephone hotlines, there are Web sites and automatic e-mails to help. So if you’re facing a holiday dinner trauma, here’s your turkey’s 911:

* Butterball Turkey Talk Line: (800) 323-4848, open through Dec. 22, including Thanksgiving Day. It’s open 6 a.m.-6 p.m. today, 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the big day and 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. thereafter. Hearing- and speech-impaired assistance (800) TDD-3848. Or log on to www.butterball.com and check out the frequently asked questions page or sign up for turkey e-mail newsletters full of tips to be automatically e-mailed to you.

* Foster Farms Turkey Helpline: (800) 255-7227, 24 hours a day through Monday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. thereafter. Or, log on to www.fosterfarms.com for tips and information.

* U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: (800) 535-4555. Food safety specialists answer calls about meat and poultry preparation and cooking questions, year-round 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays, 5 to 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day at the same number. On the Web at www.fsis.usda.gov.

* Land O’Lakes Holiday Bakeline: (800) 782-9606. Baking specialists are available for questions or suggestions through Dec. 24, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. Free recipe leaflet for all callers. On the Web: www.landolakes.com.

* Perdue consumer help line: (800) 473-7383. Consumer-relations representatives answer cooking, storage and other questions about poultry products 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thanksgiving day, and otherwise from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays year-round (except this Friday and Christmas Day).

Free booklet offer with tips on safe handling of poultry. On the Web: www.perdue.com.

* Dial-A-Chef Holiday Hotline: (888) 723-4468. Provided by Shady Brook Farms, a 24-hour, seven days-a-week, automated culinary guidance and recipe service offered by famous chefs and winemakers, through Jan.

1. Available in Spanish. On the Web: www.dialachef.com.

* Empire Kosher poultry customer hotline: (800) 367-4734. Help is offered by consumer-affairs representatives year-round from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 5 a.m. to noon Fridays. Program offers recipes, newsletter, video, tips on defrosting and cooking poultry. Closed Jewish and secular holidays. On the Web: www.empirekosher.com.

* Ocean Spray consumer help line (800) 662-3263. Year-round, weekdays (open Thanksgiving Day; but not Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and other major holidays) from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Consumer department staff field questions on cranberries, offer recipes, cooking tips, nutritional information, menuplanning worksheets, product information. On the Web: www.oceanspray.com.

* Reynolds Turkey Tips Line (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. Year-round Web site: www.reynoldskitchens.com.

Only on the Internet at

www.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.

www.eatturkey.com. The National Turkey Federation Web site has a Thanksgiving Cooking Tips page, with specific recipes and advice, among its year-round general information.

www.mccormick.com. Includes a Holiday Entertaining Guide.

www.starchefs.com has a Turkey Tips page with ideas from professional chefs and cookbook writers for turkey-cooking methods, stuffings, gravies, side dishes and desserts for holiday feasting.

www.southernfood.about.com offers Thanksgiving recipes and turkey information and hints.

By the way, if you’re wondering about thawing the bird, Butterball recommends thawing it unopened in the refrigerator, breast side up on a tray. You should allow one day of thawing for every four pounds. If it’s not thawed in time, head for the cold water and soak the bird still in its wrapper breast side down. You should change the water every half hour to keep it cold. Do not thaw the turkey at room temperature as this can promote bacterial growth.

Taken for granate

I love this season, if not for the Thanksgiving feast, for the pomegranate. And this year I’m ecstatic - have you seen the size of pomegranates in stores?

California is the only state that grows pomegranates for U.S. markets, and the California Pomegranate Council says pomegranates are abundant this year. While I prefer to just snack on the seeds straight, many people used pomegranate juice in holiday drinks.

The best way to get the juice and not the seed is to place up to 2 cups of the ruby red seeds in a blender and liquefy them. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve or strainer and get the juice.

Or, on a hard surface press your palm on top of a pomegranate and roll it back and forth and side to side, applying pressure. You’ll hear a crackling sound that means the seeds are breaking. When the crackling stops, pierce the rind and gently squeeze out the juice.

Pomegranate juice will keep in the refrigerator for three days or the freezer for six months.