Greetings one and all

This month Joe's Corner is absent one Joe. Seems our resident culinary expert has been bitten by the travel bug. He is off looking for new tantalizing recipes for future dining delights.

But this has given us a brilliant opportunity to welcome some Guest chefs. So without further delay I would like to welcome our first chef: Cablecar Gal.

Hello, my name is Cablecar Gal. People call me CCG. Call me anything but just do not call me late to help prepare a meal. One of my passions is cooking for my family & friends. From the time that I could stand on a stool over the sink I was in the kitchen with my Mom & my Grandmothers. So cooking for me has always been fun. My other passion is traveling and gardening; when you live in Northern California as I do there are Farmers Markets every where. So fresh fruit and vegetables are the key to any good meal.

The Recipes

• Italian Pasta Bake
      
• Good Hearty Short Ribs
     


• Best Ever Chocolate Cake
     
• Classic Angel Flake Coconut Cake

Italian Pasta Bake

Not sure where I got this recipe from. I just know there were no leftovers. Well,except for the dishes. I made this for a PC user group meeting, and it was a crowd pleaser. No leftovers. Only thing left was the empty casserole bowl I brought it in. I served this with some garlic bread a green salad and for desert. Some frozen strawberry yogurt with blood oranges on top a dab of cool whip. A crowd pleaser for sure.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
• 3 cups whole wheat penne pasta, cooked
• 1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce
• 1/3 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
• 1-1/2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Brown meat in large skillet; drain.
• Add pasta, sauce, and half the Parmesan; mix well.
• Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish; top with remaining cheeses.
• Bake 20 min. or until heated through.

Good Hearty Short Ribs

This recipe came to me from my sister, who was looking for something quick and easy and got her out of the kitchen, but was good to eat and there would be some left overs. NOT! There were none. While the short ribs were cooking she was putting together planter boxes and planning her vegetable garden this year and planting 5 new rose bushes. They are expecting soon 175 wine grapes to be planted.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 short ribs with bone
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 can of chopped can Italian tomatoes
• 1 stalk of celery chopped in chunks
• 3 carrots chopped in chunks
• 1 white onion chopped in chunks
• 1 package of mushrooms if desired
• Seasoning to taste: basil, thyme, dill oregano, parsley flakes.
• Salt and pepper

Directions

In an oven proof Dutch oven with lid, brown short ribs in 2 tablespoons of olive oil with a tablespoon of butter. Brown ribs on both sides, salt and pepper to taste. When brown remove them from the pan.

Tent some foil over them to keep warm. In the same pot cook onions, celery, carrots. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, beef stock, red wine. Cook carrot mixtureu until vegetables are tender but not over cooked. If you desire to use the mushrooms now is the time to add them.

Return the short ribs to the pot, cover the Dutch oven place in a 365 degree oven for 2-3 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone.

Add Water to the sauce if it is too thick.

Best Ever Chocolate Cake

Who does not like chocolate cake? This is so good. A little bit goes a long way.

Ingredients:

• 2 pkg. (4 oz. each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided
• 1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
• 1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Greek Style Sour Cream & Nonfat Yogurt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.)
• 2 Tbsp. PLANTERS Sliced Almonds

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.

Chop 2 oz. chocolate. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and water in large bowl with mixer until blended.

Stir in chopped chocolate. Pour into 2 (9-inch) round pans sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Loosen cakes from sides of pans. Invert onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.

Microwave COOL WHIP and remaining chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 1 min. Let stand 15 min. to thicken.

Stack cake layers on plate, filling and frosting with COOL WHIP mixture. Sprinkle with nuts.

Classic Angel Flake Coconut Cake

Who does not like dessert? I am not sure just where I got this recipe from; I just know there were only crumbs on the plate and there were no leftovers to take home. I made this to take to a PC User group meeting and before I went to get the coffee made they had already cut into the cake. Lots of frosting on the faces of the "men".

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
• 2-2/3 cups BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut (7-oz. pkg.), divided
• 1-1/4 cups cold milk, divided
• 1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Coconut Cream Flavor Instant Pudding
• 1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.

Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 2 (9-inch) round layers, stirring 2/3 cup coconut, 1/4 cup milk and dry coconut pudding mix into batter before pouring into prepared pans. Cool cakes in pans for 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.

Meanwhile, beat dry vanilla pudding mix, sugar and remaining milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. (Pudding will be thick.) Stir in COOL WHIP. Refrigerate until ready to assemble cake.

Stack cake layers on plate, filling with layers of 1 cup of the pudding mixture and 3/4 cup of the remaining coconut. Frost top and side of cake with remaining pudding mixture. Press remaining coconut into pudding mixture. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Joe and Petal are looking for new recipes. Do you have a recipe you would like to share with our readers? Just mail your recipe to the Yellow Gazette, care of Joe. If you have a nice picture of the finished recipe, send us that too.