Chef Del's Kitchen, The Newsletter

Thank you for following me over to my new newsletter home on Beehiiv. Moving platforms is never seamless, and the fact that you’re still here means a lot. If you signed up through my website chefdelsroufe.com, you were promised an ebook. I thought I would share it here for everyone to enjoy. Great Salad Dressings Ebook

This newsletter is going to be more intentional going forward.

More interaction. More real conversation. And hopefully, more fun.

For those of you who are new here, I’ve spent the last 36 years cooking in vegetarian, vegan, and whole food, plant-based kitchens. I’ve written cookbooks, taught classes, and spoken to audiences small and large about this lifestyle, weight management, and navigating change in a world that would often rather not see us change.

Along the way, I’ve built a community that values thoughtful conversation and a space to gather without the noise of social media.

I care deeply about good, healthy food and creating a way of eating that is practical, satisfying, and built to last.

But this next chapter feels different.

I recently turned 65. Aging changes how you look at food, health, and time. It changes how the body responds. It changes the questions you ask.

When I was younger, I felt as if I had nothing but time. I could recover from excess easily. And I usually did. I gained and lost weight more times than I can count. I started exercise programs and dropped them just as quickly, only to begin again.

That cycle looks different now. The body seemingly has its own agenda. Slower to respond. Slower to heal. Tired of having the conversation about diet.

My goal with this newsletter is to continue the conversation I’ve started with many of you. I want to know where you are in your journey, how time has changed your perspective, and what you want from the future.

And I want to keep sharing the things that binds us together: good food, good health, and community.

So I invite you to join me for the learning, the conversation, and yes, the fun as we explore:

• Practical whole food, plant-based cooking guidance
• Technique insights from my own kitchen
• Honest reflections on aging and weight management
• Updates on cookbooks, events, and classes

If you’ve been with me for years, I’m glad you’re still here. If you’re new, welcome.

More soon.

Del

I’ve been busy cooking on several fronts, working to finish my latest cookbook, preparing for our spring cooking retreat at CNS Kitchen (my home away from home), and feeding myself the healthiest tastiest food I can make. I’ll talk more about the cookbook in the next newsletter. Most of my energy right now is finishing the menu for a four day cooking retreat I lead twice a year. It takes place April 1-5 at Highlands Nature Sanctuary in Bainbridge, Ohio. It is a beautiful place with a great mission “to buy and preserve the most intact wild lands remaining in the heart of Appalachia.” Guests stay at different lodges in the middle of the sanctuary and are able to hike on any of the many trails therein. We cook together for three whole days and I get to do what I do best, teach. Below is a recipe I posted recently in CNS Kitchen. It may become a last minute addition to my cookbook because it makes me very happy every time I eat it.

This Peanut Butter Hummus is a smooth, lightly sweet spread that feels like a treat but is made from simple whole food ingredients. Chickpeas blend seamlessly with peanut butter powder, vanilla, and date paste for a creamy dip that pairs beautifully with fresh fruit, toast, or a spoon straight from the bowl. It comes together in minutes and keeps well for easy snacking throughout the week.

February Was My Birth Month.

There was a time when I celebrated all month long. I treated it like a season. Dinners out. Gatherings. A reason to mark the calendar.

As I’ve gotten older, it has started to feel different. Less like a celebration. More like another day.

Or is it?

Turning another year older doesn’t feel the same at 65 as it did at 35. The questions change. The body changes. The work changes. The way I think about time changes.

I’ve spent most of my adult life cooking in vegetarian, vegan, and whole food, plant-based kitchens. I’ve shared what I’ve learned with anyone who wanted to listen. I’ve talked about sustainability, vitality, and long-term health, and how diet and lifestyle shape our future.

Now I’m living the reality of what that actually means in an aging body that doesn’t respond the way it used to.

o maybe February isn’t just another month.

This year feels less like a celebration and more like a checkpoint.

What does sustainable weight management look like in an aging body?
What needs to adjust?
What needs to be strengthened?
What does integrity look like when you teach this work publicly and are still living it privately?

Those are the questions I’m sitting with right now. And I’ve realized they deserve more space than a typical newsletter or social media post allows.

That’s also why I’ve opened a Patreon page.

Not as a replacement for my classes or events. Not as a marketing tool.

But as a smaller, more focused space where I can share the deeper work, cookbook drafts, recipe testing, technique breakdowns, and honest reflections about aging, weight management, and what permanent change really means now.

If you’re interested in that kind of conversation, I’d be glad to have you there.

You can learn more here:
Chef Del’s Kitchen

As always, thank you for being part of my community.

Del

The T. Colin Campbell Center For Nutrition Studies has started a book club on Facebook. This is the first book we are reading.