Why Drew Barrymore Wraps Her Thanksgiving Turkey in a Blanket

Barrymore cuddles with some puppies on an episode of ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.’ (Photo: Getty/NBC)

Inside a hotel penthouse re-imagined as a winter wonderland, actress, memoirist, vintner, and bon vivant Drew Barrymore played the role of charming hostess at a cocktail party celebrating her curated collection of products for Shutterfly.

There, in between sips of Prosecco and bites of risotto balls, the star of Miss You Already shared with Yahoo Food why she had her dog’s face emblazoned on a deck of playing cards, how she likes to pair wine and food in the winter, and her go-to technique for cooking her Thanksgiving turkey.

“I think personalizing things make you more invested in items and it gives you joy on a day-to-day basis,” said the mother of two, explaining why she had chosen to partner with the home decor brand. “It’s great for gifts. It’s a good thing to do with your kids interactively. It’s just a rabbit hole of awesomeness when you go on the Shutterfly site, it’s really limitless.”

To wit, among the pillows, coasters and serving trays that Barrymore had designed was a set of stemless wine glasses she’d had custom-etched with the same insignia that appears on her eponymous wine: Barrymore by Carmel Road.

While the label launched in 2014 with a single Pinot Grigio, Barrymore told Yahoo Food that she recently created her first red vintage, which she thinks is more fitting for winter gatherings.

“I think the holidays are all about red wine,” she said. “Put away your whites and rosés!”

“For me, I like a light and dry red, because it just pairs so well with food,” she continued. “But for entertaining, I would say to buy a few different bottles. Everybody is going to like a different boldness or fruitiness or dryness. So don’t buy four bottles of the same thing, buy four different bottles — that way you’ll have something for everyone.”

Credit: Stockfood/Es-Cuisine

Her advice on what to make for Thanksgiving? Go big or go home.

“I like to make the turkey, personally,” said Barrymore. “And I like to wrap it in as much bacon as possible, with a compound butter under the skin. So it’s really heavy, amazing, salty, seasony, with all of this thyme, rosemary and crispy skin and you’re ripping the legs off… Aaaaah! It’s awesome… That’s my tip: compound butter under the skin and a blanket of bacon.”