A recap of the past month : Not your average mac & cheese, turkey chili, and mussels & saffron soup

I know, it has been quite some time since I posted last. But don’t fret, I have been cooking, just not writing. With the end of the fall semester of my first year of graduate school and the holidays, I just haven't had a chance to load up pictures and write about what I've cooked. But here it is -- finally! Here’s what I made before I left:

Swiss Macaroni and Cheese: I’ve made this dish before and I love it! It’s very hearty, with a mixture of cheese, eggs, and potatoes all part of this baked in the oven. It's certainly not your traditional mac & cheese -- this picture really doesn't do it justice. Downside: it seems like this mac & cheese always takes longer to cook than I expect, so I’m always quite famished by the time I pull it out of the oven. Upside: it makes a TON and it is great to heat up the next day. Oh yeah, I also added my own flair to the recipe this time and added a few bits of Proscuitto. It was a great addition, so if I'm dining with someone who isn't a vegetarian I would add it again. Score: 9 out of 10.

Turkey Chili: This was my first ever attempt at cooking with ground turkey. It was a little gross at first (as the turkey was all sticky), but I got used to it and it started to look better once it cooked through. I might want to try getting more creative and adding more veggies next time. Score 7 out of 10.

Here’s what I’ve made since I’ve been back in Boston:

Mussels in Saffron Broth: Usually when I make mussels the broth is just that, broth (something I soak up with bread but toss the rest of after eating the mussels). It seems like such a waste! So I decided to try a recipe that is more of a mussel soup than simply muscles in veggie broth (i.e. EAT IT ALL). In the spirit of winter I decided to buy a soup cookbook. The one I finally settled on after nearly an hour at Barnes & Noble was “The Soup Bible” -- extra bonus: it was a great deal because it was on sale. What a great addition to my collection of cookbooks! Included in this awesome cookbook is a recipe for mussels in a saffron broth which included lots of veggies, cream, and of course, saffron. I found this soup simply delicious! Very tasty and hearty. It took a while to cook, but only because it cooked with a consistent “now add this ingredient and cook for five more minutes”. So it wasn’t hard cooking, just continual cooking. I really enjoyed this recipe but it’s too bad I forgot my camera and didn’t get to take a picture. I’m sure I’ll make another batch soon enough though, and a picture will be posted then! (Plus, next time I might add some potatoes to give it even more body and make it more like a chowder.) Score 9 out of 10.