FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Sherrie Rosenblatt, National Turkey Federation
202-898-0100 ext. 233, srosenblatt@turkeyfed.org
or Leslee McGovern, Devine & Pearson
617-472-2700 ext. 137 lmcgovern@devine-pearson.com

"Turkey, Savor the Success" Web Feature Series Launches on Eatturkey.com
Program showcases turkey menu makers across market segments, food categories and cuisines

Washington, D.C. (January 2004) - Beginning in February, the National Turkey Federation (NTF) will kick off a new initiative to highlight the expanding popularity of turkey throughout the foodservice marketplace with its "Turkey, Savor the Success" Web feature series on eatturkey.com. The campaign will focus on turkey's success in individual operations, in various menu categories and in popular ethnic cuisines. Joining the federation to launch the program is Executive Chef Jeffrey Paige of Cotton Restaurant in Manchester, New Hampshire, with his Almond Crusted Turkey Schnitzel with Smoked Cheddar and Chunky Bourbon Applesauce.

"This is another exciting trend focused program featuring a wide range of operators, applications and cuisines," says NTF's Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Sherrie Rosenblatt. "'Turkey, Savor the Success' will offer chefs and culinary professionals innovative dishes and turkey insight all delivered on our Web site in a dynamic way. Jeff Paige will kick off the program with his Turkey Schnitzel, an interesting German/Austrian influenced application for turkey that reigns in popularity at Cotton Restaurant in Manchester."

"Turkey is virtually a blank canvas as it takes well to many flavors and cooking techniques," comments Chef Paige. "With the rising cost of beef, the low cost of turkey helps balance out my menu. Most importantly, my customers love turkey, we always have at least one menu item featuring turkey and they are all very popular."

To create this dish, Chef Paige starts with 5-ounce turkey cutlets, sliced thin, which he gently pounds to an even thickness. They are seasoned, dredged in a flour mixture, then an egg wash and finally an almond and breadcrumb combination. The cutlets are sautéed, then topped with smoked cheddar cheese and heated until the cheese melts. The accompaniment is a chunky bourbon applesauce made from Granny Smith apples, light brown sugar and rich Kentucky bourbon.

Each month eatturkey.com will feature a similar turkey success story showcasing commercial and non-commercial operations, menu categories such as appetizers or kids' meals and cuisines including Mexican and Caribbean. Features include professional photography, recipes, and chef interviews regarding how turkey is contributing to the menu. Once eatturkey.com showcases a feature it will be added to a "Turkey, Savor the Success" page and will continue to be linked to NTF's popular recipe database. Here foodservice professionals can access not only the new dishes, but also a library of more than 650 innovative turkey applications, nine "Virtual Menu" applications and 30 celebrity chef demonstrations.

The National Turkey Federation is the advocate for all segments of the U.S. turkey industry. It's award winning web site www.eatturkey.com offers successful on-line professional chef cooking demonstrations and a searchable database of more than 300 recipes that exhibit turkey's versatility as a profit-building item, which enhances menus in all meal occasions during every season of the year. Operators can also go to www.eatturkey.com to sign up for the RecipE-mail program to register and receive unique recipe ideas that add flair to holiday and special occasion menus year-round.