Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 24, 1993                   TAG: 9311250341
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: reviewed by Dolores Kostelni
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BUTTERBALL KNOWS HOW TO TALK TURKEY

Because many cooks only roast one or two turkeys a year, they are beset with insecurities when Thanksgiving rolls around. Butterball, the people who revolutionized turkey, realized that in between holidays people forget the important aspects of turkey preparation. As a result, starting in 1975, they began to include information folders with each bird. These folders covered preparing the turkey from beginning to end: how much to buy, thawing, stuffing, cooking, carving and storing leftovers.

Then in 1981, Butterball provided turkey first-aid to struggling cooks by opening its toll-free Turkey Talk-Line. That first year four home economists received a staggering 11,000 phone calls. Today, the Turkey Talk-Line is considered the authority on turkey preparation. This year, 44 home economists anticipate close to 300,000 calls. (Through November and December only, the Talk-Line can be reached at 800-323-4848.)

So that home cooks would have their own permanent guide to turkey preparation, Butterball and five experts have written ``The Butterball Turkey Cookbook.'' It contains everything you need to know about turkey and probably more. Its 259 pages are devoted to turkey, turkey leftovers, dressings, casseroles, casserole side-dishes, soups, gravies, relishes, satays, chutneys and compotes.

The book begins with answers for the Talk-Line's most frequently asked questions. This includes nutritional information and explicit directions on cooking the whole turkey or parts of the turkey on the grill, in the oven or in the microwave. No fewer than 10 chapters are devoted to turkey preparation with not a trimming omitted. You'll use this reference all year long.

In most instances each of the clean white pages contains one recipe set off in large, black type with nicely spaced paragraphs and space at the bottom for your own notes. It's a simply presented, clearly written book with something for everyone, even the most turkey-experienced among us. The only drawback is that it doesn't stay flat when opened.

I've tried a few of the recipes from ``The Butterball Turkey Cookbook,'' mostly stuffing casseroles and a few turkey cutlet dishes, and they've all worked well. To illustrate the great variety of the offerings, I've selected the recipes for Vermont Vegetable Stew and Turkey Creole to share with you. Both are effortless one-dish meals.

See microfilm for recipes

\ Dolores Kostelni reviews restaurants for this newspaper.