American Feast Proudly Offers La Quercia's Prosciutto from Iowa

July 14, 2009 - PRLog -- La Quercia Founders Herb and Kathy Eckhouse believe that the food we eat can delight us every day. With each product, they strive to offer a memorable eating experience, one that causes you to stop and savor the moment.

For Herb and Kathy great food is more than great taste. It is healthful, nutritious, and pleasurable. It is satisfying sensually, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. It tastes good and it feels good. It pleases and it nourishes. It is part of a responsible food system that sustains you, producers, craftspeople, restaurants, and stores who support their communities and respect the environment.

American Feast President Jeff Deasy says, "As a company dedicated to a healthier and more sustainable food system we love the philosophy of La Quercia's Founders. We believe they make some of the world's best prosciutto and the most discriminating foodies will be delighted by their efforts. The accolades their products have garnered around the globe are simply astounding."

Herb and Kathy's appreciation for prosciutto grew out of the three and a half years they lived in Parma, Italy, prosciutto's area of origin. Their ambition to create their own came from a desire to take advantage of the bounty that surrounds them in Iowa.  They are contributing to the growth of premium, artisan-made American foods by offering fine quality, dry cured meats -- and Iowa with its abundance is the natural place to do this.

Great food is made from the highest quality ingredients, careful adherence to the best of tradition, and the judicious use of modern tools. All of the pork they use comes from suppliers who subscribe to humane practices. To Herb and Kathy this means that the animals have access to the out of doors, have room to move around and socially congregate, and root in deep bedding. They do not use meat from animals that have been given antibiotics, kept in large animal confinement facilities, fed animal byproducts, or given hormones.

Kathy and Herb work in all aspects of the business-selecting and buying pork, salting, trimming, and handling hams, and leading a small group of dedicated staff who participate in their production.

Kathy Eckhouse is a long time "foodie" who lived in Europe for several years as a child and adolescent. She is the person her friends describe as the best cook they know.  

Kathy says, "I feel good about what we do, because we use pork from animals that have had a good life. I think prosciutto is a great thing for a well-raised pig to become."

Says Herb, "I love making prosciutto; it's like assisting at a miracle."

To view some of La Quercia's world-class foods go to: Prosciuttos, Pancetta & Speck

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American Feast champions food from sustainable farms over food from factories and slow food over fast food. By working with entrepreneurial families we deliver an imaginative mix of culinary delights from the USA's most creative kitchens and family farms.