The recent flooding in the Midwest brings to mind my love for the great state of Iowa. Although I was not born or raised in Iowa, I did spend 4 very important years of my life there while in college. During this time in Iowa, I met some wonderful family farmers and I learned how difficult, yet rewarding, their job is. I have the utmost respect for family farmers and believe whole-heartedly that they deserve our support. Their farms are situated on some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. From the gently rolling hills to the green fields to the mighty rivers, it is all so pure and sweet.

I am not alone in my adoration of Iowa. The state has been immortalized on Broadway in Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, in works of fiction such as Robert James Waller’s The Bridges of Madison County, in films such as Field of Dreams and in paintings such as Grant Wood’s American Gothic.

What homage to Iowa would be complete without mentioning Iowa’s contribution to our culinary lanscape? Iowa is often referred to as “the nation’s breadbasket” as the state is the the US’s #1 producer of corn, hogs and soybeans as well as a major producer of cattle & calves and dairy products. From this great agriculture comes great cooking. Today I searched amazon.com for Iowa, narrowed down by Cooking, Food & Wine, and found 1,478 results! That is a real testament to the deliciousness that is Iowa. One of my favorite cookbooks is Best of the Best From Iowa. Every recipe I have ever used from this book has been fantastic. From beverages to desserts, these recipes are infallible. These are recipes that anyone will enjoy, whether you’ve been to Iowa or not. And thanks to globalization, no ingredient is out of reach.

I encourage you to seek out and enjoy some delicious Iowa products. You’ll be glad you did.


Landscape 6 by Citizen110

Share/Save/Bookmark

Print This Post Print This Post