Modern Methods to Cook a Bird

What ever happened to making a traditional Thanksgiving turkey in a roaster pan in the oven?

Here my neighbor uses a "King Kooker" -- a burner, pot, lifting rack and thermometer to fry his bird in $50 worth of peanut oil. It's an expensive alternative and dangerous because the very high smoking point (450 degrees) can easily catch fire and water will only exacerbate the flames.

"It looks easy enough but there's no brine left to combine with the stuffing," I tell my neighbor.

"It doesn't matter," he says, "the meat is super juicy this way."

Tim stands diligently outside for about an hour waiting for his 18-pounder to cook. His method meets approval from his wife who has plenty of oven space left to bake the desserts.

Others in the neighborhood slice up an oddball Cajun combination called Turducken. It's a recipe that combines turkey, duck and chicken into one giant meal. Sausage and cornbread are also used as additional fillers.

No vegetarians allowed on this day.