ROASTING

 Although Mom may have passed down age-old roasting secrets, remember that today's turkeys cook faster than turkeys of yesteryear, says Stephanie Bergman, spokesperson for the National Turkey Federation.

 "Because turkeys are now bred to have a greater portion of breast meat (70 percent), which cooks faster than dark meat, turkeys can be prepared in less time."

 For the safest, most moist turkey, she recommends following the updated guidelines for roasting and using a meat thermometer to check doneness. A recent federation survey suggests that many people are overcooking their turkeys, which makes them dry, Bergman says.

 The turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees in the thigh.

 Not only have turkeys changed, but food safety has become an important concern. Some older cookbooks wrongly advise bringing the turkey to room temperature before roasting, Bergman says. "That is a food safety no-no; room temperature gives bacteria a chance to breed.

 "From a food safety perspective and a quality perspective, the best thing to do would be to cook the stuffing separately from the turkey," she says. Otherwise, the turkey may get done before the stuffing reaches 16

 5 degrees, which is necessary for safety.

 Roasted Turkey

 1 Turkey

 Oil or butter

 Salt

 Pepper

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove neck and giblets from both neck and body cavities. Wash thawed turkey inside and out with cold water. Drain well.

 Place turkey breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. If desired, rub skin with oil or butter. Salt and pepper the cavity and exterior of the turkey.

 For uniform results and food safety, cook stuffing outside the bird. If you must stuff, stuff loosely, with no more than ? cup per pound of turkey, and cook to a temperature of at least 165 degrees. Don't prepare stuffing or stuff the turkey until immediately prior to roasting.

 If you don't stuff your turkey with stuffing, consider filling the cavity with 1 quartered yellow onion, a couple of roughly chopped stalks of celery, and fresh thyme, parsley and sage leaves. These aromatic vegetables and herb help flavor the bird. If stuffing, close the opening by either sewing with heavy-duty thread or skewers.

 At the beginning of the time range for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the deepest portion of the thigh, not touching any bone. Turkey is done when the thermometer registers 180 degrees and the juices from the bird run clear.

 Refer to the timetables as a guideline for how long to roast a turkey. If desired, baste turkey periodically with pan juices. For pre-basted birds, follow package instructions.

 After removing from oven, let turkey stand 20 minutes before carving. If the bird is stuffed, remove stuffing before carving.

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