Welcome!
I’m Kate, and I love thumbing through a vintage cookbook.
Gift of Hospitality is dedicated to finding the best vintage recipes, and sharing them with people who love to cook.
I’ve stumbled on a LOT of vintage recipes that say, “Bake until done.”
Um, what? What oven temperature? Are we talking 10 minutes or 45 minutes? How long do these muffins need to bake?!
So I take vintage recipes and test them, and then update them with accurate instructions. Occasionally, I will update ingredients, such as swapping butter for lard or clarifying the meaning of “light cream”.
It’s my goal to help you cook the best vintage recipes, whether it’s a dish that you’ve enjoyed before, or one that’s new to you.
More about me
I’m Kate, and I’m a believer, wife, mom, and big fan of old cookbooks. I live in Chicago with my husband and two young sons. And I love to invite people into our home for a meal.
I’m an enthusiastic home cook, trained by my mom (who still cooks dinner every night), cookbooks, tv cooking shows, and endless recipe testing.
In my twenties, I taught cooking classes at Whole Foods Market and worked in marketing for Standard Market, a gourmet grocery store in Chicago’s suburbs.
In 2017, I started Gift of Hospitality as a creative outlet. It morphed into a business but most importantly a passion—a passion for finding the best vintage recipes and sharing them here.
Why Gift of Hospitality?
Growing up, we would always have an extra chair or two at our Christmas dinner table. Friends were always invited to stay for dinner. Hospitality was modeled by my parents, and, as I’m learning with two young boys, the most effective teaching comes by modeling it to your kids.
As I started living on my own, I would host groups of girlfriends for dessert or a potluck. Then came dinner parties. My first major furniture purchase was a dining room table with not one but two leaves so I could host more guests.
So you could say that I have the “gift of hospitality“. And I love sharing ideas and recipes so that others can share food with those they love, too.
This blog started off with recipes for entertaining, but quickly morphed into a vintage recipe blog after I was inspired by my Grandma’s handwritten recipes.
My grandpa also gave me her treasure trove of church cookbooks from the 1970s–1990s. They are loaded with delicious recipes that have been passed on for generations.
These recipes have served many, many people over the years. I hope that they transport you back to a delicious time in your own history.
A few of my favorite recipes
Follow along!
Join me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for the latest recipes.
Note: You will find recipes on this site that don’t necessarily fall under the “vintage” category. Gift of Hospitality previously focused on recipes for entertaining, and readers have requested that those recipes remain on the site for their reference.
So if you stumble on the Mango Mojitos, you should know that I did not find that recipe in a vintage cookbook. Though I heartily recommend giving them a try while thumbing through old recipes. 🙂
Have a question or interested in working together? Contact me here: