Will You Boycott Butterball Turkeys This Thanksgiving?

Mercy for Animals says that Butterball turkeys suffer a lifetime of abuse and violence.

A group called Mercy for Animals is airing commercials in the Chicago area this Thanksgiving that urge shoppers to reconsider buying a Butterball turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. The commercial, shown in a YouTube video attached to this story, shows footage taken from undercover video of turkeys being kicked and thrown and dragged by their necks, as well as turkeys suffering from wounds and injuries and filthy conditions.    Undercover MFA investigators say that their documentation of the violence and prolonged suffering of turkeys shows Butterball's lack of meaningful animal welfare policies, training, or procedures. Butterball's response—internal investigations and suspension of identifiable workers whose identities they can discern from …

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Recipe Roundup

Thanksgiving Leftover Strategy

Is the thought of endless turkey sandwiches making you lose your appetite for leftover Thanksgiving turkey? Beat the leaftover turkey blues and think beyond the sandwich with casseroles, turnovers and salads.

Thanksgiving leftovers can become a blessing or a curse. Granted, the venerable turkey sandwich is a treat, but after a day or two, they're boring. While turkey sandwiches might be the perennial favorite, there are dozens of ways to use up leftover turkey. Leftovers, or what some cooks refer to as "planned over" meals, begin with a plan. Pick recipes that are easy to make while creating a new dish that isn't immediately recognized as including leftovers. Chili, enchiladas and pastas are excellent examples ways to use leftover cooked turkey.  Think past the turkey. Thanksgiving's traditional sides can find new life in countless recipes. For example, I use leftover sweet potatoes to make a cream of sweet potato soup and those mashed potatoes…

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The Ghosts of Turkeys Past: Thanksgiving Day Disasters

Patch editors share their embarrassing holiday fails and invite you to add yours.

The Turkey That Wouldn't Go Away I was a newlywed, cooking my first Thanksgiving dinner for extended family. My mother, my sister and myself were crowded into a tiny kitchen at our University City apartment, bumping into each other and generally getting into each other's way. Bags and boxes and pans were stacked in any available inch of space. My husband's grandmother had given us a large covered roaster pan, and for seven months, it had been taking up space in the cabinet. Now, I finally got to use it. Not well, however, as I remember the turkey was rather dry. But we could always count on my mother's dressing being perfect and the sweet potatoes having just the right amount of marshmallow topping. We gave the kitchen "a lick and a …

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Thanksgiving Turkey Tactics

Thanksgiving turkey no longer has to be roasted. This year, expand your turkey repertoire and try frying or smoking this Thanksgiving bird.

The Thanksgiving countdown has begun. Time to tackle the turkey. It’s a task many avoid, since the thought of preparing a whole turkey seems to be an unattainable culinary feat. However, cooking turkey isn’t difficult, it just takes a little planning. Begin by deciding on the cooking style: traditionally roasted, brined or fried. For those looking to save time, consider fried turkey. Frying takes about 60–90 minutes as compared to the hours it takes to roast a stuffed whole turkey. If you’ve never deep-fried a turkey, here are the basic rules. Follow the operation directions on the fryer/cooker and check with your local fire department for safety tips. While electric turkey fryers are available and are safer, most gobblers are still fried …

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James Baer

7:49 am on Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Is is not time to hit Schnuck's, turn the potatoes, find the fixings? Thanks for some great recipes for this festive day.   more ›