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.