Grieving mother turns pain into pain
When her teenage son suddenly committed suicide in 2014, devoted mother and educator Galit Grutman of Newton, MA was shattered.
In picking up the pieces, however, she was not only able to find purpose for herself; she was also able to bring joy to others.
As the founder of Galit’s Treats with Love (http://galitstreatswithlove.com), Grutman has combined her overwhelming pain with a driving passion to serve and an unmistakable talent in the kitchen to create an ever-growing line of preservative-free, made-to-order breads and pastries that have been garnering raves from friends, party planners, Synagogues and community groups and anyone else who is privileged enough to be touched by Galit’s love.
“It is truly made with love,” Grutman emphasizes. “That's one of the ingredients in every recipe I make.”
After a year of avoiding her kitchen (which had long been the site of so many happy family moments), Grutman was inspired by her daughters to go back to the oven and pour her heart and soul into her famous baking.
“My daughters begged me to bake the Challah bread I used to bake every Friday and the chocolate rugelach I was known for,” Grutman recalls. “We baked so much that we had to give away most of the pastries…and it gave us the idea to start our own bakery in memory of our beloved son.”
Among Grutman’s most popular items are her authentic Israeli burekas and a chocolate-halva babka cake that melts in your watering mouth. She also prepares vegan, nut-free and gluten-free items that can be delivered across MA (with expanding deliveries in the works).
Though she is clearly passionate, Grutman is also realistic.
“I'm hoping that people will fall in love with my baking as it is really made with love and a lot of attention,” she says, “but I know how hard it is to fit into today's market. I just hope that people will give it a chance and try my pastries.”
For more of Matt’s food-related writings, please visit www.matts-meals.com or follow Matt @ mattsmeals73.