TURKEY TALK NOVEMBER 15, 2006 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

As Thanksgiving rounds the corner, I'm betting your family cook is busy planning the menu and making his/her shopping list. She may even be checking it twice whether you've been naughty or nice.

The star of the list for most families is the turkey, so let's talk turkey. Our ancestors who started the Thanksgiving tradition actually referred to any wild bird as a turkey. I think most of us are a bit more selective. I want my Thanksgiving fowl to be a large bird with one of those wobbly red things under the chin. I'm sure the agricultural agents on my staff are cringing at this description, but you know what I mean.

After purchasing the proper fowl, cooking it can be a daunting task. Novice turkey cooks, without Mom on hand, may be stumped by the big bird and even experienced cooks can encounter problems.

But help is available - even on Thanksgiving Day. Butterball operates a free Turkey Talk-Line to answer the questions and dilemmas of the turkey-troubles.

One of the first national, toll-free consumer help lines, Butterball launched its talk line in 1981. That year, six home economists responded to 11,000 phone calls with only a rolodex of notes and their own knowledge. Today, 50 professionally trained home economists and nutritionists assist more than 100,000 callers each year in the United States and Canada during the holiday season.

Butterball opened its Turkey Talk-Line on November 1 this year. The number is 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372). Dates and hours of operation are (all times are Central Time):

Automated assistance is available after hours and all year long.

And these folks do know their turkey. One of their all-time favorite questions came from a trucker who planned to cook his Thanksgiving turkey on the engine of his truck. He wanted to know if he drove faster, would the turkey cook faster. Sometimes we Americans are too ingenious for our own good.

As for those problems encountered by experienced cooks, consider the case of the Chihuahua. A Kentucky woman was preparing her turkey when her Chihuahua jumped inside the bird's body cavity and couldn't get out. She tried pulling the dog and shaking the turkey, but nothing worked. The poor woman and the dog became more and more distraught. After calming the woman down, the Talk-Line home economist suggested carefully cutting the opening in the cavity wider. It worked and Fido was freed! While I am telling the truth, I would prefer for you not to try this at home.

Now let's round out the Thanksgiving menu. Fruit makes a great addition to the Thanksgiving meal. And I do mean to the meal; I'm not referring to fruit as a sweet something covered in whipped cream or pastry. Check out the following recipes and see if you agree.

The Cranberry Rice makes a nice change from the typical bread-based dressing. For those families with lots of relatives who often celebrate with more than one turkey feast, this could be a very good thing.

The Stuffed Pears were a favorite at a recent Heart Healthy Cooking Class I taught with the Health Department and Southeastern Regional Medical Center. They make a great side dish or, yes, they could be dessert (no whipped cream).

In both recipes, do take time to toast the nuts. Toasting nuts develops their flavor so a smaller amount can be used. While nuts are packed with some great nutrients, they are high in fat.

Prepare rice according to package directions. In medium bowl, combine walnuts, onions, cranberries, zest, and oil. Add rice and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 (1/2 cup) servings at 278 calories and 9 fat grams each.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine sugar and butter in a small bowl, and stir till well blended. Add cheese, cranberries, and pecans, stirring well; set aside. Meanwhile, cut about 1 inch off stem end of each pear. Cut pears in half lengthwise. With spoon or melon baller, remove core area and create a small depression. Place pear halves in 13- x 9-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Fill each pear half with about 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture. Pour juice over pears. Bake for 30 minutes or till tender. Serve warm.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 11/15/06