 MAY 7 • 2020 | 31

eats | drinks | sweets
Nosh

W

hat’
s the best part of celebrating a 
simchah? The sweets!
Sure, there’
s family getting 
together and marking important milestones, 
but in the end, don’
t we all make a beeline 
toward the sweet table?
And in the last handful of years, those 
sweet treat options have expanded to become 
much more inclusive — particularly for those 
following a vegan or gluten-free diet.
The word “vegan” was coined in the 1940s 
as a statement against vegetarians who ate 
dairy products; today, that includes any ani-
mal product, including eggs. According to a 
2018 Gallup poll, 3% of Americans identify 
as vegan, up 1% from 2012.
Though people with celiac disease require 
a diet free of gluten (proteins found in cer-
tain grains, such as wheat, rye and barley), 
the advancement of testing for gluten sensi-
tivities and intolerance has opened the door 
to a billion-dollar business. 
Party planners, caterers and sweet makers 
have noticed more requests for both vegan 
and gluten-free options for celebrations from 
birthday parties and bar and bat mitzvahs to 
weddings, whether to accommodate guests 

or the hosts themselves. And though some of 
these treats get a bad rap in the taste depart-
ment, bakers and concoction-makers have 
come a long way in satisfying sweet teeth.
Jodie Polk and her husband, Jim, launched 
Culinary Combo Bakery (theculinarycombo.
com), with a focus on catering and pastries, 
in 1989. After Jim died in 2018, the couple’
s 
daughter, Jessica, joined her mom to open 
the business’
 first retail location, scheduled 
to open this summer in the Claymoor 
Apartments in Southfield. They’
ve also 
expanded their offerings to gift boxes and 
baskets, and individual orders.
“We have not always offered vegan or glu-
ten-free items,
” Jodie says. “But the request 
has increased over the years.
“We wanted to make sure these were great 
products, and not just settling for something 
to offer,
” she says. “So until we liked it, we 
would not sell it.
”
In addition to the boutique business’
 vari-
ety of hand-crafted cookies, scones, mini 
pies, cakes, toffees, rugelachs and more, 
Culinary Combo offers plenty of gluten-free 
options and are working to create more 
for vegans. Among their gluten-free treats: 

continued on page 32

Dietary-
Inclusive 
Delights

Gluten-free and vegan 

dessert requests for 

celebrations are rising — 

and confectioners are up 

to the challenge.

LYNNE KONSTANTIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Gluten-free macarons from Love & Buttercream in 
Birmingham. LEFT: Gluten-free Chocolate Baked 
“Donuts” from Culinary Combo. Gluten-free Oreo 
Peppermint Patty Sandwiches from Culinary Combo. 
Gluten-free Funfetti Cake Pops from Culinary Combo. 

