No need to drive all the way down to Tucson to visit G&L Imports though, as there is a terrific Oriental market right here in Peoria called Lee Lee. In fact it is more than just Oriental as they carry Dutch, Hispanic, Indian, and Middle Eastern Products as well. There are aisles and aisles of the familiar, the strange and the bizarre. There are sauces, vegetables, spices, and fresh meat and produce. The store also boasts a good sized gift shop where one can purchase anything form incenses to statues of obscure gods and even altars to set them on. Get hungry while shopping? There is a restaurant right on site that can fix up some slow cooker duck broth to satisfy those pangs.
Ask your guests to bring their own favorite beverage. That way everyone will have the brand of beer or soda they like best. You won't have to drive around, burning up gas, trying to stock up on beverages and still wondering if you've got all the right drinks. This single party decision will save you buckets and buckets of money, since drinks are the single most expensive part of any party budget.
We tried a few of the appetizers and among these, my favorite was the Escargots in Puff Pastry with Cognac and Garlic Cream Sauce. The puff pastry was buttery, flaky and very good and it was offset well by the cream sauce. It went very well with the champagne, but then, most things do. We sampled the crab cakes as well, and while good, they did not match the excellence of the escargots. For the entree, I ordered the pan roasted how to cook duck & Leg confit, I asked for it rare and unfortunately it was a little too rare for my taste, but this was just a minor thing. My friend thoroughly enjoyed his Lobster & Seafood Fricassee and found it very fresh and tasty. He also sampled the freshly farmed abalone and found it thick and perfect.
Wal-mart has Kmart beat by about $5 per item on Sewing Machines and slow cooker duck s, but again, features make a difference. The Brother sewing machine at Wal-mart for $54 only offers 22 stitches, while the Kenmore brand at Kmart for $59.99 is a 41 stitch machine. The slow cooker ducks, however, coming in at $15 Wal-mart, $19 Kmart both are 7 quart cookers, and I honestly don't know much else you can do with a slow cooker duck other than comparing capacity! Wal-mart does have an awesome selection of small kitchen appliances including a 2 quart slow cooker duck, a 5-speed hand mixer, a 2-slice toaster, a 10-cup coffee maker or a mini chopper, your choice for $3.98 each!
Our meal ended up costing about $235. Craft cooking a whole duck gave Bill a complimentary dessert. Had they not done that, the check would have been closer to $250. It was definitely not the cheapest meal we've ever had, but we still felt it was worth every penny. The food was exquisite and the service was very professional but not at all snobby or stuffy. They even presented us with little packets of homemade granola as a morning snack.
Mix the OJ, Cranberry, in a pitcher; place in the freezer if desired to get icy cold. Fill stemmed glasses half full with the wine. Pour enough of the fruit juice mixture into each glass to fill; stir.