The Associated Press

Here's a sampling of toll-free telephone services and Web sites that answer cooking and questions during holiday preparation times.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry hot line: (800) 535-4555. Food safety specialists take meat and poultry preparation and cooking questions, year-round 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day at the same number. Web site

ON THE NET

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. 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. McCormick.com Offers a holiday entertaining guide. Dominosugar.com Recipes and baking tips.

Butterball Turkey Talk-Line: (800) 288-8372. Home economists and nutritionists answer holiday cooks' questions, in both English and Spanish, for callers in the United States and Canada.

Now through next Wednesday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekend.

Thanksgiving, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Nov. 29-Dec. 27, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST Dec. 21 and 22 and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 24 and 25.

Automated assistance is provided after hours. Web site

Perdue consumer help line: (800) 473-7383. Consumer-relations representatives answer cooking, storage and other questions about poultry weekdays year-round (except Christmas) 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Thanksgiving week hours:

Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Next Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Thanksgiving, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Web site

Reynolds Turkey Tips hot line (800) 745-4000. A 24-hour automated hot line focusing on turkey topics through Dec. 31. Year-round Web site: Web site

Shady Brook Farms Turkey Line: (888) 723-4468. A 24-hour, seven-days-a-week, automated advice and recipe service. Web site

Rhodes Bake-N-Serv Toll-Free Bake Line (800) 876-7333 year-round 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Specialists answer baking questions and tell how to use of frozen dough.

Holiday hours:

Next Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Thanksgiving, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m

Nov. 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dec. 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Christmas, closed.

Dec. 26, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Year-round Web site.

Ocean Spray consumer help line (800) 662-3263. Year-round, weekdays (open Thanksgiving, but not Christmas, New Year's Day and other major holidays) 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Consumer department staff field questions on cranberries, offer recipes, cooking tips, nutritional information, product information. Web site

Land O'Lakes: (800) 837-7702 for free classic recipes leaflet. Web site