TA S T E | F I R S T B I T E
TA S T E | L O C A L F L AV O R
Left: The red pepper and goat chese cavatelli comes with roast garlic, oyster mushrooms, cream and goat cheese.
ment. It takes 24 hours. It takes time to develop its flavors.” By making pasta this way, Becklund forms a link in a chain of cooks that stretches back centuries. “I feel like I belong to the pasta rather than it belongs to me,” she says. “I belong to the Earth that grew the wheat, the miller who ground the wheat. I have respect for these things.” Jordan Hawley, formerly chef de cuisine at Amelia’s and now in the same position here, agrees with the sentiment: “I feel myself a part of a long lineage,” he says. He’s learned a lot about pasta since signing on. Becklund has great respect for tradition, but her dishes don’t slavishly follow them. “I’m familiar enough to branch out on my own,” she says. “It’s collaborative,” seconds Hawley. “I have input. The sauces and pastas are pretty traditional. But with all the fresh produce from the farmer’s markets, it’s fun to play around.” All of the meats, all of the dairy, and almost all the produce are from Oklahoma. But some things are from Italy, including the flour. (Which flour is a carefully guarded secret.) With so many options, what’s Becklund’s favorite pasta dish? “The fettuccine marinara,” she says. “It’s the simplest thing, just olive oil, tomatoes,
garlic and salt. Some would think it’s boring. But there’s the perfect caramelization of garlic, the perfect balance of acid and salt. Someone I respect once told me that you have no business making complex things unless you can make the simplest thing to perfection.” And that fettuccine is, indeed, perfection. But how about more complex things? “Oh, the arancini! It’s almost junk food, but it’s so rich, so creamy and crunchy, it’s almost sinful,” she says. And then there’s the bucatini with summer squash. “It’s about caramelizing that sauce, caramelizing that garlic, then you hit it with the pasta water and boom!” Becklund has been cooking pasta professionally for decades, but “I don’t feel like I’m an expert,” she says. “I feel like an active student. I’m constantly learning. I don’t think I’ll ever be an expert. And that gives me the freedom to mess up a bit.” But try to find even a single mistake at il seme. You won’t. BRIAN SCHWARTZ
Photo courtesy Made with Love
Below: Chef and owner Lisa Becklund stands with her chef de cuisine, Jordan Hawley.
MADE WITH LOVE
Nestled within the bustling Plaza District of Oklahoma City, Made with Love lives up to its name. The simple but over arching philosophy at the restaurant? Good food evokes a great mood – and you should have both in abundance. With a welcoming environment and plenty of healthy, high-quality dishes to try for brunch, lunch and dinner, you’ll certainly need to visit more than once to get your fill. If you’re coming in early, try the Good Day Sunshine smoothie with orange, mango, banana, carrot and tumeric. Then, nosh on brunch options that include the garbanzo omelet with three eggs, house chickpea salsa, cilantro and avocado aioli; or, go sweet with the buckwheat protein pancakes, replete with two eggs, sausage-spinach hash or tofu scramble and avocado. Keep it rolling at lunchtime with healthy options that include ample soups and salads, plus sandwiches including a turkey club and braised beef melt. Dinner entrees include seared ahi tuna, lentil tacos and grill pork chops, with shareables like deviled eggs, hummus three ways and a variety of dips. Along with tempting mocktails and a generous selection of local and wellknown beers, Made with Love also serves up cocktails like the Bloodhound, with grapefruit vodka, blood orange juice, thyme and seltzer. Top the night off with desserts like the garden cake or a seasonal pie and you’ll be set for the evening. Made with Love is open TuesdaySaturday from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the kitchen closes daily between 4-5. On Friday and Saturday, the bar is open until midnight. 1738 N.W. 16th Ste. A, Oklahoma City; eatmadewithlove.com. MARY WILLA ALLEN
AUGUST 2022 | WWW.OKMAG.COM
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