"What really good cooking is all about is sharing something from your heart, your soul, and your hands. There's nothing better that you can give to someone than something you made with your own hands." -- Mario Batali
Chef Mario Batali told Off-Ramp geographic themes allow him to experiment with new flavors, but still keep classic Thanksgiving ingredients.
"The idea that you would make exactly the same meal every year is kind of exciting," he says. "And challenging. I kind of make the same meal every time but I change it up by theme every year. Last year my Thanksgiving was New Orleans-themed. The year before it was Alsace-Lorraine. This year it is Umbria. Each year changes the flavors and the components of the side dishes but there's always cipollini, there's always Brussels sprouts. There's always turkey and some kind of sausage-y something."
Batali's Thanksgiving dinner takes a bit longer than most people's: "I'm a planner. I know my Thanksgiving menu by the middle of August. I shop for it, plan for it. The excitement I get from sharing a classic menu with a group of 20 to 25 friends: it's why you cook. And if you don't like cooking, I can't imagine how you can find joy in life."
But how do you make an Umbrian Thanksgiving? It starts with de-boning the turkey and making a porchetta:
"I stuff it with fennel and fennel sausage. I rub it with fennel pollen and I cook it in a pizza oven. I get two 20-pound turkeys, like torpedos, bruiser turkeys. I get them from Heritage - they are lighter on the breast and bigger on the leg, because I think the leg is better. So I get two breasts, two legs from each turkey stuffed and rubbed in fennel pollen so they get super crisp and crackling on the outside. Then there's a layer of the sausage and bread stuffing- then the succulent meat. So every slice is like a roll of everything best about Thanksgiving."
When it comes to gravy, Batali gets a head start, "And because I get to take my bones out before- roast them before to make my stock and virtually start my gravy, which is made with Vin Santo and black truffles. So I get it all started and then just dump the juices from the pan in last minute, then strain it out."
But the buffet doesn't stop there:
I make something like a cannelloni but instead of making it with pasta, I make it with something called necci, which is a chestnut crepe traditional to Tuscany. I stuff it with Swiss chard and béchamel then layer it almost like a lasagna. I coat it again with the béchamel and Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.
But what about the veggies? "I do a shaved Brussels sprout salad with Pecorino and lemon juice and olive oil."
We would love to see your Thanksgiving creations! Send us a photo on