"butterball" news and stories

Roughly 45 million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving, so it's not too surprising that we - and just about everyone else who writes about food - spend a lot of time talking about what we're doing with our turkeys for Thanksgiving and presenting alternatives to the traditional roast bird. But not everyone is planning on having turkey at his or her Thanksgiving dinner. A few might opt for steaks or pasta dishes for the main meal and a handful choose Tofurkey, but the second most popular main course for this particular holiday is ham. HoneyBaked, which is one of the most popular sources for ham, says that they can sell 50 times more ham for Thanksgiving than the do during the average week. Even more than that is sold leading up to Christmas.

I'm still serving turkey on the big day in addition to all the usual sides. What's going to be on your Thanksgiving table?

There can never be too may turkey taste tests or suggestions about different methods of cooking turkey before Thanksgiving, whether you are trying to choose the perfect bird, find the perfect temperature or narrow down your list of useful gadgets. After all, the holiday comes only once a year and anyone motivated enough to cook their own bird is going to want to do it right. In their quest for the perfect turkey, the Washington Post tested out several more expensive local brands against the ubiquitous Butterball. Their food section staff and chef Todd Gray got together and tasted four birds prepared by Chef Bryan Voltaggio of Charlie Palmer Steak (who shoots and plucks his own wild turkeys).

The favorite was the free range, all-natural turkey from Maple Lawn Farms, with moist and full flavored meat. In what came as something of a surprise to everyone, the ordinary Butterball came in second, pleasing taste buds with its familiar flavor even though it was a bit dry. The judges did not like the flavor of the fresh, free-range, organic, certified humanely raised and handled American Bronze heritage breed turkey from Ayrshire Farm or the fresh, natural Shady Brook Farms turkey.

Chef Voltaggio said he could see the difference in textures in the two mass produced birds (Shady Brook and Butterball) and would prefer to serve one of the other two brands. But the taste test here is a good reminder that it doesn't matter what you pay for the bird as long as your guests enjoy what you're serving

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Even experienced cooks can use and extra hand around the holidays, and unless you have a personal chef already standing by to coach you through your problems, you might need to call in some help. Literally. Several organizations set up hotlines for food advice, so whether you need help with your turkey of help with dessert, you'll have someone to turn to.

• Butterball- 1-800-BUTTERBALL; Nov. 1 to Dec. 31; 8am-8pm - This is the place for all turkey-related questions, staffed with specialists who have completed 'Butterball University.'
• Crisco - 1-877-367-7438; Through Dec. 31; 8am-8pm - They have advice for any and all pie-related questions, such as how to get a more tender crust or prevent the crust from shrinking away from the sides of the pan.
• Ocean Spray - 1-800-662-3263; Year-round; Mon.-Fri., 9am-4pm - Limited to cranberry questions, but great for last-minute tips or questions about specific products.
• USDA - 1-888-674-6854; Year-round; 10am-4pm - If food safety is a worry, whether you need advice on food sensitivities or just have a question about food-borne illnesses, call this line.

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