I love valentine's day
this is my Super Bowl.
I knew I was loved growing up, because my mom always made sure I knew — and especially on Valentine’s Day. Ever since I can remember, she would have handpicked cards with sweet messages waiting for my brother and me the morning of February 14th, accompanied by a rare pink-glazed donut if we were lucky. I’d proudly tote my own stack of Valentine’s cards to school, the ones I spent a painstakingly long time picking out at Target, eager and ready to give to each one of my classmates (because my parents raised me to give a card to everyone so that no one would feel left out). By the end of the day my paper-constructed mailbox would be brimming with flashy cards and candies, and I’d wait til I got home to open every little card I’d received.
And isn’t that the spirit of hospitality? Writing everyone’s names on their little cards reminded me that even if I didn’t consider myself friends with someone, they still deserved my warmth and to be reminded that they’re loved, seen, and valued.
I know, it can seem quite shocking when all of a sudden the girl who finds even brown a brave splash of color in her wardrobe is in a hot pink jumpsuit and hosting pop up cafes, come February. But I find myself fully embracing the unabashed celebration of all things pink and sparkly because I love Valentine’s Day, for what it represents to me. And I know Valentine’s Day can be more supercharged by capitalism than recognizing an ordinary man who prayed and healed a few blind people and devoted himself to helping people get married under Roman rule, but I will always take the excuse to let the people around me know I care about them.
Maybe those colorful salted almond cookies could be a bridge with that coworker you aren’t sure how to relate to. Or maybe you’re hosting a little Valentine’s Day party at to make your single friends feel seen and loved. When else do we get a whole day dedicated to celebrating love in all of its forms?!
This year, I’m carrying forward my mom’s tradition of making sure the people in my life know they're valued — even if my 2025 version involves batched pomegranate cosmos instead of construction paper mailboxes.
Valentine’s Day Menu 2025
A suggested guide to your Valentine’s Day gatherings. All photos taken by Marisa Iglesias. Plates made by Dear Gloria. Shot in my backyard.
Tri-Color Beet Hummus Palette
Blend 2 cans chickpeas, 1/2 cup tahini, the juice of one lemon, 1/3 cup olive oil, and cumin, coriander, salt to taste, in a blender or food processor. Add in one peeled and roasted beet (or pre-cooked, refrigerated beet from the grocery store) and blend. Take a third of the hummus out and store in a container. Add in another 1-2 cooked beets and/or beet powder. Blend. Take out half of the humus and store in a container. Add in another 1-2 cooked beets and/or beet powder and empty the blender of the remaining hummus.
Important: take plastic wrap and cover the hummus, directly on top, leaving no air in between the plastic wrap and the hummus. This will prevent it from hardening or and discoloring. If you’d like to, make this in advance and store overnight, up to 2 days.
Arrange in whatever gradient pattern you desire and serve immediately. I garnished with flaky salt, radishes, olive oil, pink peppercorns, and zhoug, pesto, gremolata, or any other herby green sauce.
Pistachio Cake with Strawberry Goat Cheese Frosting
I pretty much followed this recipe for Pistachio Cake and added about a tablespoon of matcha powder for a little more color, which I’m not sure actually did anything. Make sure you buy unroasted, de-shelled pistachios so the color is vibrant and green! For frosting, I almost always prefer a 60/40 butter to cream cheese ratio for the tanginess factor, but I didn’t have cream cheese so I used goat cheese. Same effect. I also added strawberry jam, maybe a little too much of it, because the frosting then broke, which means the fat separates from the rest of the ingredients and looks kind of curdled. And you know what? The cake still looked great. And if anyone noticed, they were too busy admiring the color contrast of the fresh strawberries, freeze-dried strawberry powder, and leftover ground pistachios, that they didn’t comment.
Let all this be an invitation to play with pink and other Valentine’s Day hues. Try dried rose petals, freeze dried raspberries, mint powder or desiccated coconut instead of sprinkles. Try matcha blondies with strawberry frosting. Add ground turmeric to a lemon cake recipe to brighten the hue, and top with a raspberry glaze. Try it and send me pics! 💖
Salted Almond Dark Chocolate Cookies
Recipe is here. Bake as usual and after cookies are pulled out of the oven, sprinkle with crushed freeze dried strawberries for that pop of pink.
My hot take: serving cake and cookies at the same party feels sacrilegious. Why do we need both? One of them is bound to outdo the other, and it’s my personal opinion that only one should get its rightful moment in the spotlight. But for the sake of giving you choices, I’ve photographed them together.
Smashed Feta with Pink Peppercorns and Zhoug
Smash a block of feta in a bowl with a few tablespoons milk or water, and a few tablespoons of olive oil. Continue to mash it together, adding a tablespoon more at a time until it’s more like a dip, but not runny. Put a big scoop in the center of a plate or shallow bowl and smash it with the back of a spoon to create a divot in the middle. Top with olive oil, and zhoug, pesto, gremolata, or any other herby green sauce. I also added pink peppercorns and ground pistachios to carry on with the color theme.
Pink peppercorns can be eaten whole without suffering the consequences you might have if you ate a whole black peppercorn. I love using them for their delicate floral flavor, crunch and a pop of color.
Boquerones with Pink Peppercorns
White anchovies are slightly meatier, fresher, more mild than the anchovies you grew up hating — they’re the gateway tinned fish. Boquerones, specifically, are white anchovies marinated in vinegar and oil, making them tangier and more approachable, and you can buy them at almost any grocery store in the refrigerated seafood section. I top them with a little olive oil and pink peppercorns and served them with baguette — the perfect accompaniment to your smashed feta dip.
Batched Pomegranate Cosmo
My friend Tiana made this batched Cosmo for my latest birthday because nothing says 30s like a Cosmo (and I had an abundance of Pomegranate Liqueur leftover from an event). It’s pink, and aside from sparkling brut rosé or a complex Côtes du Rhône, it’s perfect compliment a night-in of snacks and conversation about love.
Makes 8-9 servings
Ingredients:
400 ml (1 ⅔ cups) vodka
200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) pomegranate liqueur (such as PAMA)
160 ml (⅔ cup) Cointreau or triple sec
160 ml (⅔ cup) fresh lime juice
Optional: lime wheel garnish
Instructions:
Use a funnel and pour all ingredients into a liter flip top glass bottle.
When ready to serve, shake or stir each serving with ice and strain into a martini glass.
Optional: garnish with a lime wheel.
Other Fun, Personal Updates:
My website is freshly updated for 2025, loaded with all-new services and vendor partners for 2025. www.rachelsnyder.nyc
I published my first ever non-hosting related piece of writing on Unfortunately i Love You. For now I’m definitely sticking to Anyone Can Host, but unrequited love is so relatable, I hope you read it with a cheeky little smile: a token of resolve.
I’ve been resurrecting the practice of prayer walking in my life. It gets my eyes off myself and onto the needs of the city. If you are in the hospitality/restaurant industry, know that I pray for you on a pretty much daily basis.
I spent a week private cheffing for Missional Labs’ San Francisco cohort gathering. Getting up before everyone in the morning to brew a pot of coffee and get the bacon going, chats around the kitchen island during breakfast, playing jams with the clean up crew after a long-table dinner, sharing my secret stash of leftover cookie dough with those who told me they were their favorite cookies... it’s hospitality in a super meaningful, intimate environment. Does your company host retreats? Let’s chat.
Shot by Jena Postma
Ask Rachel
My regular Q & A section.
Q: I love all table questions, but HOW do you bring them up naturally without them feeling cheesy or forced?
A: As the host, you’re in control. You can also suss out the vibes of the night. Conversation flowing naturally? People seem to be connecting? Great, don’t feel the pressure to use them. However, I recommend if there’s a natural pause in conversation, and you want to create a moment of unity at the table, I’d just keep a few in your back pocket and say “hey, I’ve got a question for the group!”. You can always add and say you get this newsletter and there’s always fun dinner questions, and you want to try a few out. Easy. Shrug it off if no one takes the bate and just say “alright, anyone want dessert?”. I would just say, sometimes taking that risk for a moment of unity can result in the part of the night that people remember the most!
Here are some other ways to incorporate table questions into your gatherings:
written on brown paper, covering the table, underneath everyone’s plates
written on the back of people’s name cards — and give a moment for everyone to answer the question they received
place a few conversation starters on side tables and coffee tables at a cocktail party
pull up the questions on your phone at happy hour with friends or coworkers
How do you use your table questions? I’d love to hear!
What hosting trends are you exploring for 2025? What hiccups did you experience last year when hosting? Comment or send me your questions or hosting hurdles, and I’ll try my best to answer them in future newsletters.
Table Questions
Some Valentine’s related questions for your gatherings:
What’s the one meal that, if someone cooks for you, is the key to your heart?
What is the most romantic place in New York, in your opinion?
What quote, poem, or story about love, romantic or platonic, lives if your mind rent-free?*
Who is someone who loved you at a time when you needed it the most?
What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done for love?
*Mine is the chapter called “The Serial Monogamist’s Guide to Important New York City landmarks” in Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory, just in case you’re interested.
Let’s Chat Corporate and Private Events!
Last year we did weddings, office happy hours, retreats, luncheons, dinner parties and more! We are launching some exciting new services and vendor partners in 2025 for Rachel Snyder Hospitality, in addition to the staple grazing tables, dinner parties and private cheffing! Let’s schedule a free event consultation for your company or private event asap!
A Little Housekeeping
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