September 1, 2010
By Maggie Heyn Richardson
For the scads of transplants who moved to Baton Rouge post-Katrina, and for anyone with an appreciation for nostalgia fare, here you go: In May, Forte Grove Bakery began making “Belgium Slices” with the recipe created by now-closed DeSalvo’s Bakery in Marrero. Years back, Forte Grove proprietors Kathleen and Bill Cooper were DeSalvo’s regulars, traveling there each March to obtain Italian breads and sweets for their personal St. Joseph’s altar. Shortly after DeSalvo’s closed, the Coopers followed a lifelong dream and opened their own village bakery in Plaquemine, which sells artisan breads and sweets through regional farmers markets, including the Red Stick in Baton Rouge. Kathleen began working on her friend Michael DeSalvo for the recipe of his bakery’s signature Belgium (also called Belgian) Slices, a crunchy, oval-shaped cookie studded with walnuts and redolent with nutmeg and cinnamon. Forte Grove’s newest addition has eased the pain of homesick New Orleanians, says Kathleen. “People see them, and they get so excited,” she says. The bakery also recently added Cinnamon and Cushaw tea bread, a tender, cozy loaf that takes advantage of this mild-flavored, indigenous crook-necked squash.
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