Hot Lines

In the next few days, Americans will gobble up millions of pounds of turkey and mashed potatoes. With all that cooking going on, there are bound to be a few questions. Whether you’re wondering about thawing and stuffing a turkey or why your homemade rolls are as heavy as rocks, there’s someone to help. Keep in mind that most of the hot lines operate weekdays during normal business hours, Eastern Standard Time.

* Meat and Poultry Hotline, operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for safe handling of meat and poultry. (800) 535-4555.

* Seafood Hotline, a U.S. Food & Drug Administration operation, for proper handling, safety, nutrition and storage of seafood. (800) 332-4010.

* Consumer Nutrition Hotline, sponsored by the American Dietetic Assn., for health and nutrition. (800) 366-1655.

* Alliance for Food and Fiber, a 24-hour food safety hot line where callers may access a bulletin board of food-safety topics. (800) 266-0200.

* MCI Entertains, recorded messages from Martha Stewart, Graham Kerr, Lee Bailey, the “Frugal Gourmet” and seven other food and entertaining personalities. (800) 467-8847.

* International Olive Oil Council, for health and nutrition. (800) 232-6548.

* Butterball Hotline. For turkey, of course. (800) 323-4848.

* Pork Information Bureau. You get the idea. (800) 937-7675.

* Nestle’s Hotline, for baking and candy-making. (800) 637-8537.

* Land o’Lakes, for baking. (800) 782-9606.

* General Mills, for baking. (800) 328-6787.