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Rebel Homemaker: Food, Family, Life
Drew Barrymore has always done things in her own unique way--including how she cooks, lives, and finds happiness at home. In her first lifestyle and cookbook, Drew shares recipes, stories from her life, and personal photos that show how she lives a healthy, delicious, and joyful life through her own rebellious brand of homemaking.
In her first lifestyle book, Drew Barrymore will take you inside her kitchen and her life, sharing thirty-six amazing recipes, from Soft-Scrambled Yuzu Kosho Eggs to Brie and Apple Grilled Cheese to Harissa Spaghetti, which she developed along with chef Pilar Valdes, a personal friend and a regular guest on Drew's CBS talk show.
The book will also feature beautiful photos, many taken by Drew herself, as well as personal essays and stories about how Drew found her way in the kitchen, learned to cook, planted a garden and raised her first chickens. And, of course, how she learned to slow down, turn to nature as a teacher, always remembering to be humble and present while celebrating the joys of her family and friends around the table, both during special occasions as well as amidst the beautiful chaos of everyday life!
In her first lifestyle book, Drew Barrymore will take you inside her kitchen and her life, sharing thirty-six amazing recipes, from Soft-Scrambled Yuzu Kosho Eggs to Brie and Apple Grilled Cheese to Harissa Spaghetti, which she developed along with chef Pilar Valdes, a personal friend and a regular guest on Drew's CBS talk show.
The book will also feature beautiful photos, many taken by Drew herself, as well as personal essays and stories about how Drew found her way in the kitchen, learned to cook, planted a garden and raised her first chickens. And, of course, how she learned to slow down, turn to nature as a teacher, always remembering to be humble and present while celebrating the joys of her family and friends around the table, both during special occasions as well as amidst the beautiful chaos of everyday life!
240 pages, Hardcover
First published November 2, 2021
About the author
Drew Barrymore
22 books906 followersDrew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film producer, director, photographer, entrepreneur, and author. She is a descendant of the Barrymore family of well-known American stage and cinema actors. In 1982, her first major roll was in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial which made her one of the most famous child stars of the time. She has been a CoverGirl spokeswoman, an Ambassador Against Hunger, posed nude for Playboy and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Barrymore is the co-founder of the production company Flower Films. She is also the founder of Flower Beauty, a line of low cost, high quality beauty products.
Barrymore married her third husband art consultant Will Kopelman in 2012. They have two daughters.
Barrymore married her third husband art consultant Will Kopelman in 2012. They have two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
November 13, 2021
I love Drew, so I couldn't help but read this book but there really wasn't much to it. There is very little lifestyle content in the book, it is just a cookbook with a lot of pictures. That said, I haven't tried any of the recipes in the book yet but they do look very delicious and different but still approachable; I definitely plan on trying a few. Also, I really enjoyed how real the pictures were, they were very down to earth and not all staged and prefect.
November 6, 2021
Too many pictures of Drew, not enough recipes.
November 21, 2021
I thought her writing about life and cooking during the pandemic was very interesting and insightful. I enjoyed the pictures of her and the food. However, I’m only giving three stars because much of the recipes require ingredients that would be hard for me to obtain, and honestly doesn’t seem like food I would enjoy. I’m glad I checked it out from the library rather than bought it. While I enjoyed it, this one won’t join my cookbook shelf.
November 23, 2021
Good recipes, but Drew is just using a woman of color who she is literally paying to cook for her, to make herself seem more down to earth and "rebellious" so she can get people to buy her ugly kitchen appliance line which is smack dab in the middle of the book. This is basically an entire book to advertise her kitchen line and her new show. Her "cooking partner" is her hired personal chef and every "interview" is just her saying nice things about Drew! GOOP but trying hard to be cool. Pilar is the star here. I hope she got paid at the very least the same as Drew for carrying this entire book on her excellent-chef back.
October 26, 2022
This was and decent book, but not quite what I was expecting. Drew writes about her experiences with food and the pandemic, about businesses she has started and places she has lived, etc. There are loads of pictures of her at home, making and eating food. It was fun to look at and ok to read. There are some interesting looking recipes, but not too many for it being a cookbook. It felt more like a short memoir of sorts. I enjoyed it well enough.
November 15, 2021
I didn't have any expectations with this cookbook, but based on the title and that it was Drew Barrymore I wanted to check it out. But, I felt like it was a lot of nothing and not very many recipes either. And it felt like the majority of the recipes were seafood, which I am allergic to and can't eat. I liked the idea of the book and that Barrymore was inspired to have a garden and grow and cook more homemade food, but the reality just fell flat for me. If this wasn't Drew Barrymore I don't think it would have even been published.
January 2, 2022
3.5 ⭐️ the best thing about this book isn’t the recipes, they are ok, but Drew. The book is full of her essays & photos. Her words are warm, open & easy to read, if a little repetitive at times. Unlike many celebrity cooks she doesn’t shy away from what she doesn’t know & always gives credit to Pilar, the cook she worked with. Easy & enjoyable is how I’d sun up Rebel Homemaker.
April 3, 2022
I watch Drew’s talk show every day and I enjoy it. I’m not much of a cook but I check out cookbooks from the library hoping to find some recipes I can actually master and like making. In this case, I found 2 or 3 recipes that seem doable and don’t require a lot of fancy ingredients.
I enjoyed looking through the pictures and reading this book but the search goes on for a cookbook with tons of recipes that I think I can actually make.
I enjoyed looking through the pictures and reading this book but the search goes on for a cookbook with tons of recipes that I think I can actually make.
March 17, 2023
TL;DR: not sure how it rates as a cookbook yet, but as a "cooking memoir" it's not good.
I don't really remember why I ended up ordering this book at the library (especially without checking the Goodreads reviews), but I did. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but I would like to. And if the recipes are any good, I'll come back and give it another star ;)
I will give it points for the candid photos. And the recipes do look tasty and are a trip around the globe (some reviews are upset by the ingredients they can't pronounce or don't know where to find, but it's 2023. Google it. Order it online, if you need to. Expand your eating horizons.)
Few things that bugged me. Pilar is clearly Drew's personal chef. That's fine. Great. She has the money and is employing someone to cook for her. That's her choice. However, it really bugged me that she didn't just come out and say it. Drew kept calling her her "cooking partner," etc. and it felt more secretive and so felt weird. I would have preferred her to just address it and move on--"this is Pilar. She started out as our personal chef, but then became friends and cooking partner as I started getting into the kitchen more." Easy peasy. But instead we danced around it probably trying to be more relatable, but instead left me feeling like they thought I was dumb and wouldn't figure it out.
Speaking of trying to be more relatable. Drew. Honey. I understand that you've put in work in your life and career. I understand that you had a rough childhood. I understand. However, your last name is freaking Barrymore and you're part of an acting dynasty. Saying that you're "self-made" is so wildly inaccurate and out of touch. Your first movie was ET, directed by your godfather, also known as Steven Spielberg.
I don't really remember why I ended up ordering this book at the library (especially without checking the Goodreads reviews), but I did. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but I would like to. And if the recipes are any good, I'll come back and give it another star ;)
I will give it points for the candid photos. And the recipes do look tasty and are a trip around the globe (some reviews are upset by the ingredients they can't pronounce or don't know where to find, but it's 2023. Google it. Order it online, if you need to. Expand your eating horizons.)
Few things that bugged me. Pilar is clearly Drew's personal chef. That's fine. Great. She has the money and is employing someone to cook for her. That's her choice. However, it really bugged me that she didn't just come out and say it. Drew kept calling her her "cooking partner," etc. and it felt more secretive and so felt weird. I would have preferred her to just address it and move on--"this is Pilar. She started out as our personal chef, but then became friends and cooking partner as I started getting into the kitchen more." Easy peasy. But instead we danced around it probably trying to be more relatable, but instead left me feeling like they thought I was dumb and wouldn't figure it out.
Speaking of trying to be more relatable. Drew. Honey. I understand that you've put in work in your life and career. I understand that you had a rough childhood. I understand. However, your last name is freaking Barrymore and you're part of an acting dynasty. Saying that you're "self-made" is so wildly inaccurate and out of touch. Your first movie was ET, directed by your godfather, also known as Steven Spielberg.
January 1, 2023
I’m obsessed with anything Drew. I enjoyed all the pictures and stories and can’t wait to try some recipes 😊
February 14, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It caught my eye at a local gift store. After picking it up and flipping through it briefly, I purchased it with the thought of it being a cookbook. I read this cover to cover as I would any other book and was surprised with how this came together and the way she intertwined her voice throughout. I especially liked how she wrote a little something about each recipe; what she loved about it or the person or place it reminded her of. You could hear her voice while she shared thoughts of adjusting to the pandemic life and moving to the East Coast. Some have mentioned how her cookware was included and being a bit turned off by that but she only discusses her line on two pages and more so from a standpoint of how it came to be and what she was hoping for when bringing the line to life. It is a part of her world so it makes sense that it would be included in this book. Rebel Homemaker is also filled with great pictures. I loved seeing how her home is filled with books - filled! Definitely worth checking this out if you are a Drew Barrymore fan.
April 23, 2022
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I did really enjoy this read (especially after, true confession, reading Vanessa Lachey’s “Life From Scratch” earlier today). It’s defo more of what I had expected from either book, and didn’t get from Lachey’s.
The book is part testament to Barrymore and who she is (and I loved learning about her in this read), part to how the pandemic has impacted all of us, and oh yeah, part recipes, hehe. I can’t say there would be a ton I’d actually try, but they are all well presented and photographed, at least!
I do wish there was a bit more that could translate to action items for the reader. So much of it was memoir—which is fine!—I’d just hoped for more… “Everyman” (or “everywoman”). But, for what it was, Barrymore did very well and it is overall a success.
(Note: There were a couple f-bombs, which was unfortunate [and unnecessary].)
I did really enjoy this read (especially after, true confession, reading Vanessa Lachey’s “Life From Scratch” earlier today). It’s defo more of what I had expected from either book, and didn’t get from Lachey’s.
The book is part testament to Barrymore and who she is (and I loved learning about her in this read), part to how the pandemic has impacted all of us, and oh yeah, part recipes, hehe. I can’t say there would be a ton I’d actually try, but they are all well presented and photographed, at least!
I do wish there was a bit more that could translate to action items for the reader. So much of it was memoir—which is fine!—I’d just hoped for more… “Everyman” (or “everywoman”). But, for what it was, Barrymore did very well and it is overall a success.
(Note: There were a couple f-bombs, which was unfortunate [and unnecessary].)
January 25, 2022
I really enjoyed this book as a fan of DB. Reading through the recipes, they look delicious! A self-reflecting journey through the pandemic; I found this inspirational. Nature, food, gardening and mindfulness all played a part.
January 18, 2022
I thought this was such a great cookbook. I have always been a huge fan of Drew Barrymore and it was so much fun reading about her joys with cooking and growing her own garden. I also love how each recipe has a personal story about why it is in the cookbook.
February 16, 2022
It's a cookbook. The writing between recipes was cute, and I felt like I could hear Drew's voice in my head. I checked it out from the library, and I can see myself buying a hard copy eventually. I'm not huge on books of recipes generally, but this one had a sweetness to it that I enjoyed
February 26, 2024
Absolutely loved this cookbook. The recipes and stories made me feel like I was sitting with Drew and Pilar. I can't wait to try a few recipes too. Absolutely delightful read! Thank you for sharing your insight and love for nature and food.
May 18, 2024
I LOVE Drew Barrymore BUT the majority of these recipes were gross and not anything I would want to eat. HOWEVER, this book is beautifully made and I really appreciated the context, pictures, and thoughtfulness that went into making this book.
December 22, 2021
This reads more like a diary than a cookbook.
December 27, 2021
This is such a fun, sweet cookbook. It captures Drew Barrymore's energy and vibe, and the photos are lovely. I've already dog-eared some recipes to try. A cool addition to any cookbook collection.
February 9, 2022
I'm a fan of Drew and although this book had a great feel and looked really nice, there wasn't too much to it.
I'm glad I didn't buy it and borrowed it from the library instead.
I'm glad I didn't buy it and borrowed it from the library instead.
September 20, 2022
Great pictures, stories and recipes.
February 17, 2023
For what it is, (a cookbook) I enjoyed her writing she added and her pandemic experiences. Anything Drew is worth a read!
November 26, 2021
I love Drew and I'll read any book of hers. I went into this expecting a cookbook, but instead got part cookbook, part pandemic journal, part photo dump. This wasn't a bad thing. While I have yet to make any of the recipes (& many included meat so I skipped over a good amount, though several featured sauces that sounded amazing), I did take photos of a bunch for future reference!!
December 8, 2022
Really wanted to give three stars. But it’s Drew Barrymore and I love her to death. So four stars it is :)
April 27, 2022
Dukkan.
Harissa.
Tartine.
Agrodolce.
Kilawin.
Recipe words or Star Wars characters??????
Certainly it bears noting I'm a small town girl---living in a lonel... Wait, not that. A small town girl with a deeply rooted southern palate. I don't vary much in my likes and preferences. I noted maybe two recipes in this entire book that I would consider making. AND. I grabbed this up due to the fact that I've loved Drew Barrymore since my obsession with E.T. began in the early 80s. I appreciate her little monologues explaining the recipes and the accompanying photos, so overall an enjoyable read--But for real--just give me a spiral bound church cookbook, without pictures, and copious amounts of Brendas, Ida Maes, Sharons, and Susies submitting their recipes. ♥️😂
Harissa.
Tartine.
Agrodolce.
Kilawin.
Recipe words or Star Wars characters??????
Certainly it bears noting I'm a small town girl---living in a lonel... Wait, not that. A small town girl with a deeply rooted southern palate. I don't vary much in my likes and preferences. I noted maybe two recipes in this entire book that I would consider making. AND. I grabbed this up due to the fact that I've loved Drew Barrymore since my obsession with E.T. began in the early 80s. I appreciate her little monologues explaining the recipes and the accompanying photos, so overall an enjoyable read--But for real--just give me a spiral bound church cookbook, without pictures, and copious amounts of Brendas, Ida Maes, Sharons, and Susies submitting their recipes. ♥️😂
February 22, 2022
I am disappointed in this one. I don't feel like Drew Barrymore really developed or cooked most of these recipes. She mentions her personal chef quite often and I'm pretty sure the hard work really came from her. The recipes were not ones I'd be interested in making but if I was I don't think the ingredients would be readily accessible where I live. I think Drew would like to come across as a normal person but this cookbook just highlighted how different we are.
July 6, 2022
Completely underwhelmed. There are more photos of Drew than there are recipes. Many of the recipes require ingredients that are very hard to find if you're not in L.A and I was just really unimpressed by the entire thing.
May 17, 2021
Thank you, Drew Barrymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2021
A cookbook collector who owns several hundred of them, Drew Barrymore wanted her debut cookbook to be "very personal and eclectic and messy and real." REBEL HOMEMAKER is all of those things, but it's also beautifully designed (filled with personal photographs) and enriched with charming, heartfelt and funny personal essays sprinkled between the recipes.
The book's recipes and essays are arranged by meal, beginning with breakfast and ending with dinner, sides and salads. Most recipes include instructions for preparing food in advance (including poached eggs!) with advice on how to preserve them and reheat them properly. Vegetarian, soup and fish dishes are prominent, with standouts including blackened tuna in lettuce cups; Coconut Fish Kilawin (using snapper or blackfish); Stovetop Scampi; squash gratin with cashew cream; and the sweet and salty Korean stir-fried noodle dish Japchae. But meat-lovers will enjoy her Vietnamese lemongrass beef skewers, pepper steak and shredded beef--"It's better the next day," she promises. Some of her simplest recipes look the most delicious--including a brie and apple grilled cheese sandwich and a watermelon with pistachio dukkah dish.
Barrymore's lyrical and relaxed essays range from the joys and struggles of cooking for and with her two daughters during the pandemic shutdown, advice on table seating ("Don't space people out too much, because you immediately lose more people to talk to"), and creating her line of Beautiful cookware, which replaces knobs and dials with touchscreens. Rebel Homemaker is as charming as its author.
Drew Barrymore mixes charming and funny essays with quick and easy recipes to create one of the tastiest cookbooks of the year.
The book's recipes and essays are arranged by meal, beginning with breakfast and ending with dinner, sides and salads. Most recipes include instructions for preparing food in advance (including poached eggs!) with advice on how to preserve them and reheat them properly. Vegetarian, soup and fish dishes are prominent, with standouts including blackened tuna in lettuce cups; Coconut Fish Kilawin (using snapper or blackfish); Stovetop Scampi; squash gratin with cashew cream; and the sweet and salty Korean stir-fried noodle dish Japchae. But meat-lovers will enjoy her Vietnamese lemongrass beef skewers, pepper steak and shredded beef--"It's better the next day," she promises. Some of her simplest recipes look the most delicious--including a brie and apple grilled cheese sandwich and a watermelon with pistachio dukkah dish.
Barrymore's lyrical and relaxed essays range from the joys and struggles of cooking for and with her two daughters during the pandemic shutdown, advice on table seating ("Don't space people out too much, because you immediately lose more people to talk to"), and creating her line of Beautiful cookware, which replaces knobs and dials with touchscreens. Rebel Homemaker is as charming as its author.
Drew Barrymore mixes charming and funny essays with quick and easy recipes to create one of the tastiest cookbooks of the year.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews