Just noted this posting, and I can't tell you how much I have to
disagree with this. Let me relate my experience here -- wish i could
post some digitals of the evidence, but read on.

I purchased a 16 lb Empire Turkey on 12/09/03 at my local A&P Market
in NJ. I have always had great luck with them in the past and have
always had very pleasant experiences with the preparation and cleaning
of their birds, so I had great confidence in being able to serve this
one for my mother-in-law's 69th birthday celebration.

Imagine my surprise to open the bird to find it not nearly prepped,
including full feathers and quills in the bird. In fact, most of the
bird -- wings, legs, breast -- had quills that were more than 3 inches
in length!!! It was almost as if the bird wasn't plucked but given
just a crew cut! This wasn't even nearly acceptable, and after a 1/2
hour of a pair of tweezers and sore fingers, I simply had to give up
and had to suffer the embarassment of telling my mother-in-law that I
wasn't preparing her dinner.

Never again.

I got a free turkey from the A&P for Thanksgiving that was far better
prepped and ultimately successfully served just for shopping there and
being a loyal customer. When the occassion was special, and I went
out of my way to make sure I got an Empire Kosher bird, it became a
disaster.

They have a lot of explaining to do about their quality control
processes, and after telling many friends and colleagues about my
wonderful experiences with Empires, I'll be doubly as vocal about
explaining this one. And believe me, this isn't an urban legend. I
have a peeved mother-in-law who's usually quite mild-mannered and
conciliatory. $16 down the drain when I could have jst used a freebie
bird and been better off.

"A. Buck" > wrote in message
om...
> Just noted this posting, and I can't tell you how much I have to
> disagree with this. Let me relate my experience here -- wish i could
> post some digitals of the evidence, but read on.
>
> I purchased a 16 lb Empire Turkey on 12/09/03 at my local A&P Market
> in NJ. I have always had great luck with them in the past and have
> always had very pleasant experiences with the preparation and cleaning
> of their birds, so I had great confidence in being able to serve this
> one for my mother-in-law's 69th birthday celebration.
>
> Imagine my surprise to open the bird to find it not nearly prepped,
> including full feathers and quills in the bird. In fact, most of the
> bird -- wings, legs, breast -- had quills that were more than 3 inches
> in length!!! It was almost as if the bird wasn't plucked but given
> just a crew cut! This wasn't even nearly acceptable, and after a 1/2
> hour of a pair of tweezers and sore fingers, I simply had to give up
> and had to suffer the embarassment of telling my mother-in-law that I
> wasn't preparing her dinner.
>
> Never again.
>

Empire turkeys are sold in plastic bags, like most turkeys are. You would
have been able to feel the quills, and probably even seen them.

That is, if your story had a lick of truth to it, which it doesn't.

Jack Lie

(A. ****) writes:
>
>I purchased a 16 lb Empire Turkey on 12/09/03 at my local A&P Market
>in NJ. I have always had great luck with them in the past and have
>always had very pleasant experiences with the preparation and cleaning
>of their birds, so I had great confidence in being able to serve this
>one for my mother-in-law's 69th birthday celebration.

Shoulda just told Granny how lucky she is, to have a tom
with his foreskin feathered... tickle - tickle! Hiya TROLL!


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
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"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."