With eight days left to deadline, American expatriates are scraping together enough pur?ed pumpkin, cranberry sauce and oyster stuffing to celebrate the patriotic, gastronomical holiday of Thanksgiving.


Certain missions are still graver, said Shirley Curry, a Tennessean visiting her daughter in Moscow: "We're in search of turkey," said Curry as she scanned the meat section in a south Moscow supermarket Monday.


The quest in Moscow for the Nov. 24 feast's centerpiece calls for both sincere desire and financial wherewithal. Although Russian markets sell turkeys (indyuki ) at by far the best prices, they tend to be smaller than Thanksgiving-standard -- no larger than about 10 kilograms. At a half-dozen former hard-currency stores in Moscow, frozen turkeys are available for prices ranging from predictable to ridiculous.


M-Leader has a good selection of frozen turkeys, with a large one priced around $52. Stockmann's has turkeys which run $71.15 for a 2.8-kilo stuffed turkey, or $46.04 for a 6-kilo unstuffed bird -- and a backlog big enough to see them through the season this year. Roditi has small turkeys for $16.50 a kilogram, as well as smoked turkey breast for $17.90 a kilogram with spices, and $19.30 with apples. Mega Inter Supermarket has frozen turkey thighs for 7,000 rubles apiece. Foodland at Sadko Arcade was selling a 3.6-kilo turkey for $28.40, while Garden Ring had a large one for $33.95. Colognia offered a 5-kilo bird for 44.06 Deutsche marks ($28.80.)


Although it falls short in the turkey department, Lux Supermarket on Michurinsky Prospekt has an edge on every other business in town: It stocks both Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix (at $2.90 a can,) Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce (at $2.85 a can,) and Stovetop Stuffing. Stockmann's also sells pumpkins.


Faced with import-tax sticker shock, however, some expatriates said they would celebrate the pilgrims, the bountiful harvest and the helpful Native Americans without an airmail turkey. "I don't know if we can afford it this year," said one American journalist, who asked to remain anonymous. "I'm debating."