CHICAGO, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Demonstrations of how to deep-fry a turkey have been hard to miss on national and local news programs, but little is said about the millions who have given up the bird and opt for a vegetarian Thanksgiving.
A national survey by LouAna Peanut Oil of Opelousas, La., found 17.3 percent of 1,000 U.S. respondents planned to deep-fry a turkey this holiday season. Nearly three-quarters will fry a turkey for Thanksgiving, 47 percent for Christmas, 18 percent for the Super Bowl, 17 percent for Easter and 16 percent for football tailgating parties.
Not surprisingly, Cajun deep-fried bird is more popular in the politically red states of the Deep South where 21 percent of the holiday turkeys will be boiled in hot oil. The survey found 18 percent of turkeys will be deep-fried in the Midwest, 14 percent in the West and 13 percent in the majority blue-state Northeast.
There are no surveys on the number of Americans not eating turkey at all.
"What's the best way to stuff a turkey?" asks Farm Sanctuary. The farm animal-rescue group says it's to feed the turkey -- rather than eat it.
The public is invited to "adopt" a turkey at Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y. or Orland, Calif. For $20 you get a color photo of your bird and an adoption certificate. Proceeds go to feed and care for the turkeys.
Details are available on AdoptATurkey.org.
Farm Sanctuary has saved hundreds of turkeys since it was founded in 1986, a symbolic drop in the bucket compared to the more than 330 million turkeys slaughtered each year.
Hundreds of people attend the annual meatless Thanksgiving, this year on Saturday.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, probably the best-known -- and most flamboyant -- national animal-rights organization, sent a letter to President George W. Bush this week requesting that he not send the traditionally "pardoned" turkey to a petting farm where other pardoned birds have ended up.
"PETA points out that because the turkeys are bred and drugged to gain so much weight that their joints and organs cannot handle the stress, birds pardoned in the past died within months -- or even days -- of the Rose Garden pardoning ceremony," wrote Bruce Friedrich, director of Vegan Campaigns.
PETA urged the White House to send the bird to the Popular Spring Animal Sanctuary for farmed animals, 15 minutes from the White House, instead of Frying Pan Park, which raises animals for slaughter. PETA offered to deliver a meatless Thanksgiving feast to the White House with a main course of "Tofurky," an organic, soy-based protein in a box made by Oregon-based Turtle Island Foods.
It resembles sliced turkey breast. "Tofurky" must be thawed before it is roasted.
"We're calling on President Bush to give animals something to be thankful for, too, this holiday by giving the pardoned turkeys the peaceful retirement that they deserve and choosing a delicious vegan Thanksgiving dinner for the First Family," said PETA President Ingrid Newkirk.
President Harry S. Truman ate the turkeys the White House received from the turkey federation. PETA says President George H.W. Bush began the tradition of "pardoning" the turkey in 1989. The group asked the president to begin a new White House tradition of a meatless Thanksgiving holiday.
Thanksgiving dinner, with or without the turkey, remains one of most affordable holiday traditions.
The American Farm Bureau Federation's 19th annual informal survey found the cost of an entire traditional Thanksgiving dinner for 10, including turkey and all the trimmings, was $35.68 -- only 60 cents more than last year.
The feast includes a 16-pound turkey at 89 cents a pound (8 cents a pound less than last year), stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, a relish tray with carrots and celery and coffee and milk.
"The decrease in the price of turkey is probably due to an increase in fourth quarter poultry meat production, which was up 3.5 percent from a year earlier," said AFBF Senior Economist Terry Franci.
Last year 80 percent of turkeys were sold on a holiday special. Whole frozen turkeys cost about one-third less in November 2003 than during the rest of the year, according to the unscientific consumer research.
Complete ready-to-eat Thanksgiving feasts are available for as little as $40. Cub Foods on White Bear Ave. in Maplewood, Minn., offers a frozen Thanksgiving dinner for four to six people for $38.95. The Super Target in Shoreview provides a 10- to 12-pound Butterball turkey, with two pounds of mashed potatoes, stuffing, green-bean casserole, gravy and cranberry relish for $39.99. A dozen side dishes are available.
For novice cooks, ConAgra's Butterball Hotline is answering questions on cooking turkey for the 50th year, even in Spanish.
The Butterball turkey, named for its broad breast and plump rounded shape, is anathema to vegetarians.
"Today's turkeys die so young because turkey breeders -- ignoring the fact God or Nature knows best -- have manipulated the birds' environment, mating, and the food that they are allowed, and bred them to grow at an unnaturally fast rate to a grotesque size that their lightweight bones cannot support," PETA said in its letter to the White House.
Commercially raised turkeys are debeaked and their toes trimmed to keep overcrowded and stressed-out turkeys from pecking and scratching each other to death inside factory farm pens.
GentleThanksgiving.org has a Top 10 list of reasons people should go "gobbler-less."
-- Your body will appreciate a holiday from saturated fat, cholesterol and hormones.
-- You won't sweat the environment and food resources devastation guilt trip.
-- You won't spend a sleepless night wondering how the turkey lived and died.
-- Animal advocates, including some of your best friends, will cherish you.
-- Fruits and vegetables don't carry government warning labels.
-- You won't have to call the Poultry Hotline to keep your family alive.
-- Commercial turkeys are too fat to have sex. Could happen to you.
-- Your kids can tell their friends about their cool "unturkey."
-- You are what you eat. Do you want to be a "butterball"?
-- You won't fall asleep during the football game.
Besides "Tofurky," vegetarian meals can include seitan, lentil or mushroom/nut roast, stuffed squash, corn chowder or chestnut soup, candied yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin or sweet-potato pie and carrot cake. Other delicious options include Indian vegetarian dishes and Middle Eastern cuisine from falafel to hummus.
Several animal-rights groups are hosting alternative vegetarian Thanksgiving Day dinners.
Not interested in the turkey substitutes? If one of your Thanksgiving diners is vegetarian, remember, most of the traditional meal is vegetables and fruits.
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