Bobby Flay Will Host A Puerto Rican Thanksgiving

Turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce: we all know the traditional foods served at Thanksgiving. But this year, Bobby Flay is spicing things up.

"I always theme my Thanksgiving day menu after something to talk about around the table," Flay tells The Daily Meal. "Puerto Rico has had a really hard time this year and there is a huge Puerto Rican community in New York, so I am going to cook Thanksgiving with Puerto Rico in mind."

What's on his menu? Adobo spiced turkey, mofongo, and plantains, reveals the chef. "The food really just sparks a conversation and reminds us of why we give thanks around the Thanksgiving table."

Even as a professional chef, Flay admits that preparing the feat is hard work. "I'm always the host and it's usually about 40 to 50 people in either in my apartment or the Hamptons," he says. "It's a lot of work, but it's really rewarding. It's one of my favorite days of the year."

To make sure he can actually enjoy the holiday and not spend it in the kitchen, Flay does a lot of prep work ahead of time. "You need to be really organized and prioritize what you can do ahead of time," he says. "Make sure you have lots of warm chicken stock on the stove, so you can reheat things."

Looking even further ahead to 2018, Flay predicts the biggest food trends of next year. "We are clearly going way more vegetable-focused than ever before," he says. "The more vegetables I put on my menu at Gato, the more I sell. So, I think that you're going to see way more all vegetarian restaurants where you don't even need meat on the menu."

The celebrity chef believes in the trend so much, he'd even consider opening a vegetarian restaurant. "I would consider that especially in bigger cities like New York or Los Angeles," he says. "That is the way some people are eating these days and you just have to make the food delicious." But, when asked if he'd host a vegetarian Thanksgiving, he hesitated.

"That's tough. I like my turkey," he says. "But, you know what? Most people come for the side dishes, so it could certainly happen."

Jordi Lippe-McGraw is a freelance writer covering travel, food and wellness, and is also an avid truffle lover. Follow her on Instagram at @welltraveler.