As you’re perusing the cookie tray at the office party this year, keep your eyes peeled for offerings that have the food industry screaming, “Fa-la-la!” Gluten-free is now one of fastest-growing segments of the specialty-food market and the fastest-growing products in the global food-allergy and food-intolerance market. Its foods and beverage sales reached $2.6 billion…

Kickstarter closed 2011 with some fairly impressive numbers. The site, which matches artists, musicians and creative projects with financial backers, tallied just shy of $1 million in pledges with more than 27,000 launched projects. Ironically in 2010, combined projects raised only about $27,000. While it seems unlikely that this funding avenue for L.A. waiter/actors and…