2023 Memorial Day Issue

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COOKING WITH SCRATCH © Pick a Door, Any Door 36 by BARBARA SIMMONS Photo by KAREN FUCITO Is it the front door or the back door? I wonder if many of you have a front door versus back door controversy at your house. What do you call the front door? Is it the one everyone uses to enter and exit the house or another more formal, less used one on a different side of the house? This was definitely an issue in the home I grew up in on the lake. This argument resurfaced when my husband and I bought our house over 30 years ago. Some of you may argue there are other factors—such as location—that determine which is the front door. If you think it’s the door that faces the street, that would make me right in both locations—Ha! But there are several who would argue with me. At the lake, we entered and exited on the side of the house where there were steps going up to a landing and a door that led to the mudroom. There was a doorbell on this door, which, in and of itself, should classify it as a front door, right? The mudroom led into our kitchen. Most everyone in the house agreed it was the front door. But my father, Horst Kertscher, insisted the front door was the one that faced the lake, on the other side of the house. Yes, the view was more aesthetically pleasing, but that door was only used by the Jehovah’s Barbara Anne Dillon, O.D., P.A. License # OA 05188 OM 0373 180 Howard Boulevard, Suite 18 Mount Arlington, NJ 07856 (973) 770-1380 Fax (973) 770-1384 • Comprehensive Eye Exams • Contact Lenses and Eyeglasses • Treatment for Eye Disease We’re open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Memorial Day 2023 Witnesses and people who were lost, asking for directions. It also opened into our living room and we kids weren’t supposed to use that door when returning from the lake with sandy feet and wet bathing suits. In addition, the route to Horst’s “front door” was a bit more roundabout. You had to come up from the garage, take a left onto the concrete sidewalk, walk around the side of the house, up some steps and walk across the rocky outcropping the house was built upon. Then you had to traverse a small patch of lawn before you got to a flagstone landing leading up the stairs to the living room door. Actually, there were three doors at the lake house: Horst’s front door, my front door and a side door that opened onto a concrete patio that led to what we all called the backyard. After swimming, we were supposed to hang our towels and bathing suits on the clotheslines strung between the big oak trees … not draped over the dining room chairs. It’s also where we set up the grill when we had company on the weekends. Our picnic table was back there, too. My husband, Aaron, and I have disagreed for the last 30 years about which door is which in our current home. As a matter of fact, we recently argued about it at the garden center when he said he wanted to buy an additional hanging basket of geraniums for the front door, in addition to the two I had chosen for the (other) front door. At our house, my kids and I agree that the front door is the one everyone uses to enter and exit, the one that opens to the mudroom and kitchen (just like at the lake), the one the UPS driver leaves packages at. It also faces our street. Aaron says our front door is the living room door. Like Horst’s front door, it is rarely used except to let the cat in and out, and it’s where the occasional wayward floral delivery ends up. And, yes, it is also the one that the Jehovah’s Witnesses knock on when they are in the neighborhood. The difference between our house and the lake house is that here, Aaron’s “front door” is one quarter of the way around the corner of the house from my front door. We don’t have a back door at all. OK, so I Googled “is there a difference between a front door and a back door” and this is what I found: “Generally speaking, front doors face the street and the public. The front door is where one meets the postman and watches a passing parade. By contrast, the back door and backyard are private: it is where families have barbecues, swimming pools and store things they don’t want the public to see.” However, as you know, you can always support both sides of an argument when you Google an answer to a question! Read on: “So, is there a difference between back doors and front doors? The answer is no, the choice of door is simply down to your preference and your needs. These doors make the perfect entranceway into the front or back of your home and can even be fitted on garages and sheds.” But wait, there’s more: With additional Googling, I learned the placement of front and back doors is a very important aspect of feng shui, the Chinese belief that harmonious energy—and better fortune—can be achieved by the positioning of furniture and other objects. “Having a direct line of sight from the front to the back of a home is considered poor feng shui because with nothing to slow or redirect it, qi (energy) will rush straight from the front door out the back. This allows the energy, which might bring luck or money, to leave your home without circulating and bestowing its benefits.” So, neither of my homes—childhood or present—have had this direct line of sight issue. Phew. Thank goodness we’ve had good feng shui all these years. Having lived in the lake house for about 20 years and in our current house for about 35, I can’t say that the front door versus back door controversy has ever been satisfactorily resolved. Perhaps not calling them front or back doors would work? Can we just call them kitchen doors or living room doors? Maybe being a little more specific would solve the problem It seems I’ve lived in homes that have had hybrid front-back-side doors. What’s it like at your house? Do you agree which is the front door and which is the back door? What about your yard? Are the members of your family in agreement about which yard is which? I think we can all relax a bit and have a good chuckle over this. Regardless of what you believe, you can make this recipe for roasted vegetables and enjoy it while sitting outside in warmer weather. I’ll let you decide which door you use to get there.
Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables This can be served as a side dish as part of a larger grill menu. (The vegetarians in your family will thank you for the meat-free option.) Serve the tzatziki and crumbled feta cheese in separate bowls and the warmed pita bread cut in halves or quarters in a basket. I also like to serve this on its own as a veggie gyro sandwich topped with tzatziki and crumbled feta cheese. Serves 6 Ingredients Veggies 1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into large cubes 1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/2” half moons 1 medium summer squash, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/2” half moons 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into large cubes 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into large cubes 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into large cubes 1 large red onion, cut into thick slices Dressing 1/2 cup good olive oil 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 large cloves garlic, smashed and minced 1 tablespoon (or to taste) kosher salt Tzatziki 1 cup plain Greek yogurt ½ cup grated cucumber 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 teaspoons dried or fresh dill Salt and pepper, to taste For serving: Crumbled feta cheese 3 pitas, warmed in the oven or on the grill, sliced in halves or thirds Procedure Prep all of the vegetables and put them into a very large bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour the dressing onto the vegetables, giving them a good toss. In another bowl, combine all the ingredients for the tzatziki, stir and set aside. Oven method: 1. Preheat oven to 420 F. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position. If using two pans, use the two lowest positions. 2. Place vegetables on a large sheet pan and roast them for about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring halfway. Cook until they are well done and nicely caramelized. If using two sheet pans, rotate them top to bottom halfway through the roasting. Grill method: 1. Bring the grill to a very high heat. 2. If you have a perforated grill basket, you can use it for this recipe. You can also use a sheet pan if you have one that fits your grill and allows you to close the cover. 3. Once the grill is smoking hot, add the dressed veggies to the grill basket or sheet pan and place it on the grate. 4. Cover the grill and roast the vegetables for about 45 minutes, tossing with a spatula every 15 minutes or so until they are nicely charred. Serve with the tzatziki sauce, crumbled feta cheese and warmed pita triangles. Four Sisters Winery WINE TASTING DAILY VINEYARD VIEWS FROM OUR BEAUTIFUL DECK FOOD AVAILABLE WEEKENDS MUSIC ON THE DECK WEEKENDS (MAY-OCT.) Grape Stompings • Murder Mystery Monthly Weddings • Parties • Social Events 908-475-3671 OPEN 10 AM - 6 PM (Closed Tuesday) 783 County Road 519, Belvidere, NJ 07823 www.foursisterswinery.com mattyfla@gmail.com NATURAL GAS CONVERSIONS Reliable HVAC Heating and Air- Conditioning 973-361-2146 License# 19HC00310200 John W. FAust Jr. lakehopatcongnews.com 37
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