Answers to holiday cooking questions

11/24/2009

•The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line experts at 1-800-BUTTERBALL will answer questions about preparing a holiday turkey through Dec. 26. Dates and hours are: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays through tomorrow; 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thanksgiving Day; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays Friday to Dec. 23 and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

•Crisco Pie Hotline is back to offer the latest baking, storage tips, time saving hints and the option to talk to a pie pro. Call 877-FORPIETIPs Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Extended hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through tomorrow and Dec. 14-23.

•Ohio State's Food

Safety Hotline, a partnership between Kroger Co. and the Center for Innovative Food Technology, has trained students answering calls from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 800-752-2751.

w Brining specialists can be contacted at The Spice Hunter Brine Line between 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Hours will be extended to midnight during Thanksgiving week. Call 888-334-8977.

•The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday in November and December and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. They answer calls about how to properly handle food, including food safety during power outages: food manufacturer recalls; foodborne illnesses; and the inspection of meat, poultry, and egg products.

-- Kathie Smith