Gobble time: Turkey to-go tops for some this holiday

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Nov 21, 2006 by Kelley Chambers

OKLAHOMA CITY - Thanksgiving will be here Thursday, and while some will slave over hot stoves to prepare the perfect turkey, others will simply choose to cater the event. And some local shops and restaurants are more than willing to help.

From frozen to fresh, smoked to roasted, even Thanksgiving procrastinators still stand a chance of nabbing a delicious bird with minimal work.

Retailers report that aside from stocking more turkeys than usual, they have also seen increases in orders for pre-cooked turkey and side dishes.

Bill Kamp, at Bill Kamp's Meat Market, said his shop offers a pre- cooked smoked turkey and all the sides.

Kamp said sales of his Thanksgiving specialties are up 12 percent to 13 percent over the same time last year.

"I think that reflects our little niche is becoming more attractive to people," he said.

Kamp has offered turkeys and sides for the holidays for the past five years.

"We're selling the heck out of this stuff," he said.

With endless cooking shows and numerous food magazines available, Kamp said some consumers are inspired to try their hand at gourmet fare themselves, while others simply want someone else to do the cooking.

Kamp is selling his specially smoked 12- to 14-pound turkeys for $35 each.

The local catering shop Prairie Gypsies stopped taking orders for its Thanksgiving dinners on Monday at noon.

Debbie Leland, one of three owners, said the shop has been offering turkeys and sides for seven years. She said they will whip up about 50 to 60 Thanksgiving dinners this year.

Though a core group lines up each year before Thanksgiving to order their holiday food, the numbers have increased in recent years, she said.

"It's just clearly word of mouth," she said.

Leland said there are different reasons people buy some, or all, of their Thanksgiving dinners from the shop.

"I think people are busy," she said. "Even though cooking is now one of the biggest national pastimes, a lot of people are overwhelmed, especially when it comes to cooking the turkey."

For those who still want to do it themselves, grocery stores have many kinds of turkeys and all the ingredients for side dishes.

Robert Pemberton, owner of Crescent Market, said the store does not offer pre-cooked turkeys but does stock fresh turkeys for sale around Thanksgiving.

He said the store expects to go through about 600 fresh turkeys in the days leading up to Thanksgiving and that turkeys should be available until 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Pemberton said the fresh turkeys are washed in ice-cold water right after slaughter and stored just above freezing. They go for $1.49 a pound.

All three said some people purchase ham and other meats but that in the end, turkey is still the No. 1 choice for Thanksgiving feasts.

The National Turkey Federation reports turkey consumption has increased 106 percent since 1970. It attributed the increase to people eating turkey throughout the year and not just on Thanksgiving and Christmas, as was more common in earlier decades.

Turkey talk

An annual informal survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation concluded that despite slightly higher prices on some food items, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner is still affordable for most families.

The survey was first conducted in 1986 when the AFBF reported the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal for a family of 10 was about $29. The average for 2006 is about $38, which the report showed would translate to about $19 in 1986 dollars. The number reflects a decline of 34 percent since 1986.

The report further showed the average price of the same dinner in 2005 was about $37.

When adjusted for inflation, the report states the price of a Thanksgiving dinner over the past 16 years has remained at about $20.