Valentine’s, But Make It Fancy 💋

Jerrelle Guy’s low-key guide to entertaining.

Feb 10, 2026

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Valentine’s Day comes with a lot of big things. Big plans. Big spend. Big expectations.

But what if the most romantic move is… staying in? You already have everything you need right in your own kitchen. That’s the idea behind We Fancy: Simple Recipes to Make The Everyday Special, the latest release from award-winning cookbook author Jerrelle Guy.

Her philosophy is simple: Fancy isn’t a lifestyle, it’s a mindset. A little planning. A little care. A lot more joy. Dropping February 10th, Guy makes the case for low-effort fancy—meals that feel intentional without draining your energy (or wallet). Through personal stories and delicious recipes, Guy creates a guide for making any meal a little bit ‘extra’ with minimal effort.

Think store-bought ice cream with homemade caramel, long-simmered sauces made ahead of time and letting candlelight do most of the heavy lifting. “Fanciness, as I see it, is a way to savor what we have right in front of us. It’s our philosophy, one where mindfulness and play meet with just enough practicality to bring deeper meaning to our dinners and our days.”

Guy shares a few fresh ideas to fancy up Valentine’s Day and every day.

Make Some Time

“Whether you’re hosting friends or your partner, serving a meal that shows it took days to prep, simmer or ferment is the ultimate gesture,” she says. “Making a menu with dishes like sourdough bread, or gumbo which simmered all day, or ginger beer that took days to ferment, or a liquor you took the time to infuse, is great.”

For Guy, pizza is an affordable option that’s still special because she and her husband both put thought into preparing the meal.

“One of our favorite ways to celebrate, just the two of us, is having a pizza night with a 72-hour pizza dough. Watching my husband feed our starter and tend to a levain throughout the week warms my heart, and the romance gets a chance to build up all week long. I make a long-simmered pizza sauce, he tends to the dough and the day of, we each build and shape the pizzas, and then we fire them off in the Ooni or the oven preheated with a pizza stone.”

Set The Scene

“Whether it’s two people or 10, set the table with hand-plucked flowers and different shapes and styles of candles,” Guy says. “If it’s too cold for a moonlit dinner, bring the string lights inside.”

To extend the festivities beyond the food, Guy suggests having each person read one of their favorite love poems aloud over candlelight. “Depending on the crowd it would either be comical or sweet, but definitely memorable,” she says.

Love Yourself

If you’re not in the mood to host, Guy says that cooking solo is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. Especially when you take a little time to make it special.

“There’s something impactful about slowing down and creating an intentional dinner just for yourself, even if it’s alone in bed furnished with a cushioned lap desk,” she says.

Whether it’s a plate of your favorite snacks arranged in a pretty way, crostini topped with colorful ingredients or a cozy bowl of soup, it’s important to treat yourself, too.

Entertaining Essentials

Guy has two must-have ingredients for entertaining on the fly—and they might surprise you. Although they are very different, both items can upgrade simple food that you already have on hand.

“Heavy cream makes everything a little richer, soups silkier, and if you are serving late-night coffee or needing to make a last-minute upgrade to a cake or even a bowl of macerated fruit, whip some into fluff for topping,” Guy says. “It’s magical, and smart to keep around.”

Her second pick, seltzer water, is another handy product to have on hand, whether you want to whip up a batch of mojitos or make a mocktail by combining it with lemonade or cranberry juice. “It’s just not a fun party without a fizzy drink,” she says.