THANKSGIVING TABLE

Thanksgiving celebrates family and tradition. But, for those preparing dinner for relatives and friends, it can be anything but a holiday. THE THANKSGIVING TABLE allows you to keep the day special, fun, and relaxing—without being chained to the stove.

BARBECUED TURKEY
There are lots of great reasons to barbecue a turkey. If you are a one-oven household, barbecuing your Thanksgiving bird is the best way to free up oven space for all those pans of stuffing, sweet potatoes, and gratin that need to be baked. It is, guaranteed, a showstopping and delicious way to cook a turkey. There is no messy roasting pan or grease-splattered oven to clean up. It is a delightful cooking method for those living in a warm climate (but, hey, there are always those diehards who light up a grill whether it's raining or snowing). The hickory-smoked turkey leftovers are divine. And, barbecuing a turkey is easy. Make the giblet gravy if you like; it is delicious with the barbecued bird. Another option, simpler and still delicious, is to use your favorite bottled barbecue sauce and serve it warm alongside the bird. Be sure to allow 12 to 24 hours for brining the bird before you start cooking.

This grill recipe uses a technique called "indirect cooking" or "indirect grilling." This simply means that the food is not set directly over the coals or burners as it cooks in a covered grill. Essentially, this is grill roasting—heat rises and reflects off the lid and sides of the grill, circulating the heat. Indirect grilling is used for long, slow cooking; it is the best method for barbecuing whole chickens, roasts, ribs, and turkeys. The directions are for a gas grill with more than one burner, or a charcoal-burning, kettle-style grill with a vented lid.

DOUBLE-CRUSTED
CRANBERRY-BLUEBERRY PIE
I have been making this tart, crimson-colored berry pie for as many Thanksgivings as I can remember. My children would be terribly disappointed if it was missing as one of the dessert offerings. In fact, they love it so much, I am certain they lick their plates when I'm not looking. If you live, as I do, in an area where huckleberries grow wild, pick them in late summer and stash some in the freezer for this pie. (Blueberries are delicious in this dish, but huckleberries are even better.)