July 24, 2022

For Angelica's turn to host she chose not to host and instead picked out a cute brunch place.  Liberty's Kitchen was a perfect spot for us, minus Talia.    It had ample (free) parking, took reservations, was not too loud and had a nice mix of sweet and savory brunch dishes.  There also was a HUGE cocktail list.  

Eggs Benedict.  AMAZING - crisp English Muffin, even more crisp prosciutto and crisp yet creamy breakfast potatoes. CRISP.

Tonya's breakfast board appetizer plus slaw (for some vegetables) and a summer sangria.

Angie's sangria flight.  The right most was the sweetest and my favorite.  I donated the left one to Mary.

Mary started with fried oyster topped deviled eggs and then had an omelet with cheesy grits (boxed up to go).

Angelica had red velvet waffles with chicken strips. 

May 22, 2022

We met at Talia's and were joined by little dogs, big dogs, rabbits and HEDGEHOGS.  One of each.

Tonya started us off with this rich, creamy dip served with vegetables and crackers and a beautiful cocktail.  Tonya layered the liquids to create a beautiful pattern. This drink is one of the dangerous varieties that goes down way too smoothly so you want to have one after the other.

Mary put together an Asian salad or slaw with almonds, and splash of lemon juice. The fried wontons gave a crisp crunch.

I prepared Lo Mein for the side dish. I liked this recipe because it is full of vegetables.  Add shrimp or chicken and it is a main dish.  I did add more spices than called for so taste and add more as necessary.

For the main dish, the Gourmet Gals finally tackled duck.  Thanks, Talia for conquering this seemingly insurmountable challenge by choosing a recipe for duck breast. We also made the five spice, grinding and heating up the spices.  The breasts were coated in the spice, seared and finished in the oven.  

Our meal was finished with these cute tartlets prepared by Angelica. As with many Asian desserts, it is lightly sweet with a creamy texture.  Less (sugar) is more after the end of a meal with the rich duck.