While we were working on pot pie, talk turned to Thanksgiving traditions. Odessa turned to me and asked, “Do you stuff your turkey?”

“Sometimes — if we cook it outside on the grill, we don’t. But if we do it in the oven, we do. What about you?”

She told me that she doesn’t stuff the turkey. She puts a hunk of celery and onion in his neck, and sticks another couple pieces up his butt. Then she rubs the bird with salt, sprays it with oil, and roasts it.

Meanwhile, instead of “stuffing” or “dressing,” she makes the following “filling”:

Saute up some onions and celery. Cut bread into 1/4-inch pieces using scissors and stir it in with the vegetables. Season with poultry seasoning or sage and oregano, plus salt and pepper.

Put it into a baking dish with some milk and beaten eggs and baking powder (“makes your filling on the fluffy side”) and bake at 350 F for an hour. Serve with turkey gravy.