Thunderer Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour two 8 1/2 inch cake pans.
• Cream together the shortening and sugar.
• Beat in the vanilla and egg yolks.
• Mix in the cold water and pureed tomatoes.
• Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and fold into egg/tomato mixture.
• Sift the cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
• Mix dry mixture into wet.
• Pour batter evenly into cake pans.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
• Let cakes cool on wire racks before frosting with chocolate buttercream icing.
• Optional: Top with fresh strawberries.

Steps:

• Saute garlic and chickpeas in olive oil over high heat until chickpeas begin to pop. Add sage, broth, and pepper. Lower heat and reduce broth by one-fourth.
• Cook pasta al dente and drain. Place in a large bowl and toss with butter. Add chickpeas and broth; toss well. Add salt to taste and 1/4 c Parmesan cheese. If pasta seems too dry, add more broth to taste. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
• You can use one 16-oz can of chickpeas and 1 ts dried sage instead of the fresh versions if you like. Orecchiette pasta works the best as the chickpeas snuggle into the hollows perfectly.

Steps:

• To make the Honey Árbol Ginger Syrup: Put the honey and water in a blender and stir until the honey dissolves. Add the ginger and chile and blend on high speed until the ginger is pulverized. Strain through a chinois or cheesecloth and discard the solids. Let the syrup cool to room temperature. Transfer to a small jar or bottle and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
• To make the cocktail: Combine the cocktail ingredients in a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice cubes, cover, and shake hard for 7 seconds. Use a Hawthorne strainer to strain the cocktail into a coupe glass. Garnish with the chile de árbol slices.