CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL OF PATRIOTISM THIS 4TH OF JULY

B Y J A K E D U N H A M

Drive any direction, and you will find one of the many different Fourth of July celebrations around the state. From massive fireworks extravaganzas to traditional hometown displays of patriotism, or old-fashioned jubilees, there is a celebration the entire family will enjoy. Oklahoma is one state that does not skimp on the festivities Go Big or Go Home

Edmond's LibertyFest is a must-see. Encompassing ten events that span a week, LibertyFest has been recognized by CNN and USA Today as among the top ten festivals to experience in the U.S. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the festival. From parades, a car show, activities for the kids, and fireworks, there is something different to do every day for the entire family.

Take in the scenery of the Arkansas River and check out Tulsa's FreedomFest. A day of activities takes place around Tulsa's River Parks district. Relax with a picnic before enjoying live music, face painting, food vendors, and other concessions. Then stay for one of the largest fireworks displays in the state.

Come see Moore and a Celebration in the Heartland. This festival is considered to be among the best Oklahoma has to offer. Parents will enjoy the motorcycle, car, and truck show, while the kids enjoy frolicking in the giant sandpit or experiencing the arts tent. A wide variety of vendors and food concessions will also be present, along with carnival rides followed by a spectacular fireworks show.

Freedom Fest in Yukon offers attendees a day-long series of events. Kids will enjoy the parade, arts and crafts, swimming, and games, while the entire family can take advantage of free ice cream, watermelon, and music. The night's festivities come to a close at Chisolm Trail Park with an awe-inspiring fireworks display and a performance by the Oklahoma City Philharmonic orchestra.

Hometown Pride

The annual Blackberry Festival in McLoud embellishes oldfashioned traditions with one of the state's longest-running Fourth of July festivals. Experience a day filled with live history demonstrations, car shows, and blackberry cobbler eating contests. A carnival and fireworks display round out the festivities.

The Watermelon Seed Spittin' World Championship is right here in Oklahoma. For over 50 years, Pauls Valley has hosted the competition every Fourth of July. The event is so popular that it has been featured in the Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley ’s Believe It or Not. It has as even made an appearance in Trivial Pursuit. Contestants compete to break the current world record of 66 feet 11 inches held since 1989.

If tradition is what you are after, look no further than Pawnee. The town hosts festivities known for old-fashioned fun each year, including bubble gum blowing contests, turtle races, water balloon fights, and horseshoe games. Join in the egg-toss, tug-of-war, boot toss, or sack races. If games are not for you, then take part in the mid-day parade and evening fireworks.

Boomer Blast in Stillwater has become synonymous with patriotism. The day ends with a traditional fireworks display set to music. However, leading up till then, the day is filled with events. Participate in a fishing tournament, boat, or swim on Boomer Lake, and listen to live music. But don't forget to sample the food!

For more information about these and other celebrations around the state, visit https://travelok.com

Scratch Kitchen and Cocktails THE LOVE IS IN THE NAME

by James Frazier

When you hear the term scratch, I am sure that a lot of things go through your mind. For me, I think about my grandmother grabbing some fresh okra from her garden, some steaks from the freezer, and somehow 30 minutes later eating Chicken fried steak, with fried okra all made from scratch. This is sorta like that. Scratch Kitchen and Cocktails is what happens when you have a passion for creating fresh food from scratch and thoughtful cocktails that perfectly pair with the amazing food. I got to sit down with Chef Luke Fry to discuss his passion for great food and scratch cooking. “Really what we're wanting to get from this is just reintroducing people to not a high-class style of food, but just food done well, done right. ” The style of the food is constantly developing and is kind of becoming this cool like Southwest indigenous people's Creole blend of foods. From the beginning owner, Brady Sexton found a passion for Craft Cocktails and Craft Cooking, and we are so glad he did.

When you first walk into Scratch, you will notice the unique style of the space, it’s in a historic Norman brick building right in the heart of downtown Norman. The decor is simple, but elegant and matches the food and drink to a tee. It’s bright, without being too bright, and immediately creates a sense of comfort. The bar is well stocked and is clear that the cocktails are going to be extremely well thought out including a lot of scratch-made ingredients. As a craft cocktail fan, needless to say, this excited me, and they delivered amazingly. I got to experience the Eastern Sun created by Bradley Quy made with Tozai Living Jewel Sake, Yuzu Liquor, Bombay East gin, lemongrass syrup, saline solution, and Bolivar bitters. It was magical. The flavor was unexpected and mesmerizing. Let’s talk about the food, because as good as the cocktails are, Chef Luke Fry is the star of the show. We started out with a classic dish that blew me away with its elegance and flavors. The fried green tomatoes served with black bean and corn salsa and buttermilk herb dressing were a revelation. The tomatoes were the perfect texture and made an absolute statement of freshness and fried goodness. I hate to say this, but they were better than my grandmother’s. This was followed up by the Seasonal Hummus plate, which at the time was a caramelized onion and balsamic hummus. I had no idea you could pack that much flavor in hummus. This is served with Gluten free pita and an olive medley that was the epitome of decadence.

For the main course, we went classic to another level with the best mountain of Chicken and waffles I have ever experienced. The sweet corn waffle with hot honey topped with amazingly moist Chicken then cascading with the most delicious buttermilk herb dressing served with 2 stunning over easy eggs, was miraculous. I can’t explain to any level of understanding how perfect the chicken was on this stack of waffles. The dressing with the hot honey created a combination of flavors that was hard to track but perfectly executed. Your tastebuds think it’s spicy, then sweet, then tangy and rich but overall confused and comforting. This is scratch comfort food to a whole new level. In the evaluation of scratch cooking, it’s important to look around and see what resources you have. In this instance

having some Latin influence in the kitchen can really pay off with specials like the squash blossoms spinach and mozzarella. Pupusa, with a stewed tomato sauce and a cabbage slaw. Pupusas are not something you see on many menus, but if you know, you know. These creations were unbelievably delicious. The combination of flavors with the luxuriously simple cakes was undeniably delicious. If you don’t know pupusas, you have to taste these magical Central American cuisine.

Have you ever had a dessert so good it made you mad? Yeah, I don’t understand either. Chef Luke’s seasonal cobblers are something of legend. In this instance, the peanut butter and jelly cobbler made me furious. I guess my reaction was part confusion mixed with jealousy that I never thought of this kind of flavor combination and held together with thoughts of having to finish the cobbler after such an amazing meal. Why couldn’t he have just brought it to me at the beginning? Oh, I know, we had to get through all the other amazing food first. It makes sense but doesn’t make it any better.

What does the future hold for Scratch Kitchen and Cocktails? Look for more weekly specials to complete the already amazing menu. “I want to take different cooking styles and I wanted to take different foods and make them fancy, make them interesting” , said Chef Luke Fry. In the near future they will be kicking off some wine dinners, beer dinners and even cocktail dinners. It’s exciting to see a place like Scratch take on such a love for creating one of a kind dishes with local and fresh ingredients. So, I tip my hat to you wonderful lovers of craft cooking and cocktails, keep up the good work.

www.eatatscratch.com 132 West Main Street Norman, OK 73069