My family roasted four turkeys to accommodate all the holiday guests at my grandparents’ small Chicago bungalow. Their house smelled of holiday: turkeys roasting upstairs and down. My father carved the birds for hours. Great memories for those of us too young to realize the enormity of the effort.
This year, our Thanksgiving will be considerably smaller—one modest-size turkey will suffice. I’m planning to forgo a house full of roasting aromas for a patio with wafts of the pleasant smells from a charcoal grill. Using the grill to roast an unstuffed bird frees up the oven for side dishes such as cornbread dressing, sweet potato casseroles, and roasted Brussels sprouts.