Some of my best friends are vegans…

I’ve often been accused of writing a vegan and/or gluten-free blog here myself. I don’t. The only ingredient consistently missing from my recipes is dairy, which I’m not supposed to eat. Even then, I’m not perfect, usually opting for dairy that is lactose-free which doesn’t count.

I do like the challenge of trying to make edible food that is either vegan or gluten-free but I am in complete awe of people who can do both — and make it delicious — because it is a challenge for most of us.

I have blogged before about my friends Barry and Jennifer who have a vegan AND gluten-free catering company called Local Love here in the Bay Area. Barry is a Cordon Bleu-trained chef who used to be head chef at Ravens’ Restaurant in Mendocino. His vegan and gluten-free desserts are so good that they have no right to be free of anything!

The other extraordinary thing about Chef Barry and his wife Jennifer is their lack of attitude. They eat vegan and gluten-free food but they don’t judge you for your disgustingly unhealthy diet. They are the kind of folks who adopt stray cats and dogs (not even sure how many they have at home right now) and allow themselves to be upstaged by their toddler in their Kickstarter video.

They are using Kickstarter to raise funds to help open a vegan bistro here in the Bay Area (East Bay to be exact). Yes — we all hate Kickstarter. It’s like Ryan Seacrest. You know he bugs you but you can’t put your finger on why…On the other hand, it works and we actually need a vegan bistro in the East Bay that isn’t overpriced. You’d think we’d have a bunch to choose from but the fact is, we don’t.

If you give them $10 you will get to enjoy one of those desserts I rave about. Barry does things with nuts that will make you forget buttercream. And that’s saying something.

His entrees are good too!