Monday, November 19, 2007 4:10 PM

HELP! Thanksgiving 911?

Oven on fire? Forgot to remove the giblets? Bleeding? It’s Thanksgiving—stuffing happens. Scan through my list of holiday disaster reference guides and be prepared for any culinary crisis—from figuring out where the salad fork goes in a setting to rescuing a burning bird.

Butterball Turkey Talk Hotline
1 (800) BUTTERBALL
Download a Turkey Talk podcast (find it here), or call with an immediate question. Trust me--they’ve heard it all (including, ‘How do you get the smell of bleach off of a turkey?’).  

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving)
(888) 674-6854
Call for on-the-spot answers about cooking temperatures and times.

America’s Test Kitchen Thanksgiving Q&A
The editors of Cook’s Illustrated have anticipated just about every turkey day question a beginner or veteran cook might have. Find out everything you ever wanted to know (but were afraid to ask) in this complete Q & A.

Five Ways to Spend Thanksgiving in the Hospital
Before the first guest arrives, find out how most holiday disasters happen—and how to avoid them—with this guide to Thanksgiving no-nos and uh-ohs.

Kitchen Fire Safety
There’s more to putting out fires in your kitchen than “Stop, drop and roll.” Don't panic. Check out this fire safety 101 to know what to do when the smoke detector goes off (because you do have a smoke detector and a fire extinguisher, right?).

Emily Post’s Table Setting Guides
Impress your MIL (and finally use all of your wedding china and silver).

Guide to Setting up a Buffet
Did you know 94 percent of Americans serve buffet style on Thanksgiving? (Okay, I made that up, but this Nest guide is chock-full of good information on setting up a beautiful buffet.)

Pairing Wine
A great glass of wine (or two) can ease holiday angst and make Aunt So-and-So’s cream-of-something-soup casserole so much more palatable. Find out how to pick a few winning bottles with the Nest's turkey day wine pairing guide.

Got any of your own golden Thanksgiving wisdom (learned the hard way) to offer? Or advice on what to do or where to turn when things go wrong in the kitchen?