Supermarkets Offer Turkey Prep Hotlines

Culinary artists who want to talk turkey with an expert can find one as close as their smartphone.

Two local supermarkets - Wegmans and ShopRite - are offering free help for folks who haven't a clue on how to make a Thanksgiving feast.

Both stores receive tons of urgent questions, asking for help in putting dinner together. This year, Wegmans is offering advice via phone, text, and tweet.

The chain's Executive Chef Mark Makovec will be on hand live via Twitter in the days leading up to “turkey day.” He’ll answer last-minute questions from 8 am to 5 pm today through Weds., Nov. 23.

Questions may be submitted to Chef Mark by tweeting to @Wegmans and using the “#turkey911” hashtag. The Twitter Q&A will also be featured on the homepage of Wegmans.com for anyone who would like to follow along.

For even more help in the kitchen, frequently asked Thanksgiving dinner questions and answers are also on wegmans.com, and a variety of how-to videos are available on the Wegmans YouTube channel.

, which has been offering up specialized Thanksgiving advice since 2008, is going the more traditional route by offering a toll-free number for people who need advice on preparing their holiday meal.

A ShopRite Culinary Workshop instructor will manning the phone at 1-800-ShopRite. Just get your questions ready and ask for the Chef on Call. 

ShopRite is also offering free recipes via email, and  tips on buying, storing and thawing turkeys at their website, www.shoprite.com/cnt/TimelyTopics.html.