Click It. BEAT picks of the week.

Photos from the entire Marni for H&M line (out March 8) have been released. Time to create a wish list!

Some snack ideas for watching the Oscars red carpet tomorrow --

St-Germain cocktails

Bacon-wrapped Dates

The Barefoot Contessa's Baked Brie

Cinnamon-dusted Almonds & Marinated Green Olives

Kettle Corn

I love a good pair of slippers - check out these travel options from the WSJ.

A really sweet book of love stories.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: H&M

Advance Notice. The Grilled Cheese Invitational.

It's back! Celebrate Grilled Cheese Month this April with the ever-indulgent and ever-wonderful 2nd 8th (??) Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational happening April 23rd.

Gorge on that perfection which is known as the grilled cheese, in all kinds of versions, nicely split up into four categories: the classic Love, American Style; the any bread-butter-cheese Missionary; the anything goes Kama Sutra, and the all-dessert Honey Pot. And in between those sumptuous cheesy bites, check out costume contests, cheese-calling competitions and other shenanigans. And just like last year, you can even sign up to be a judge (just $5 more on the admission price).

Set the date now: Tickets are only $12 ($15 at the door), which includes free samples from the sponsors. Happy cheesin'!

The Grilled Cheese Invitational is occurring April 23rd on April 23rd at the at Los Angeles Center Studios, located at 1201 W. Fifth St. in downtown.

-- Chau Tu

Eat It. Macaroni and Cheese.

I had a root canal today, which means I'm eating soft foods. I considered having cream of wheat for dinner, then realized many macaroni and cheeses are soft enough that they don't require too much chewing, and it's a much more satisfying dinner than a hot breakfast cereal. Homemade macaroni and cheese is always best, but if you're functioning on little sleep and had a long day at the office, you'll want to buy pre-made.

And so, a few of the best macaroni and cheeses in L.A. --

Swingers diner (pictured above)

Joan's on Third

O-Bar (lobster mac and cheese)

The Edison (truffle mac and cheese)

Trader Joe's (frozen)

Gelson's (from hot bar at deli)

One of the best homemade mac and cheeses I've had was an Ina Garten a.k.a. Barefoot Contessa recipe--breadcrumbs on top, Swingers-style.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: laist.com

Check It. Hi-Time Wine Cellars.

If you're ever in the Orange County area, Hi-Times Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa is a place that definitely deserves a peak inside.

A wine, beer, cheese, spirits, and cigar specialty store, I've often heard that it easily rivals BevMo! in their craft brew selection, and offers $10 wine tastings on Tuesdays, as well as carry interesting cheeses.

Because they're a smaller store, they get special cases of brews that large-scale vendors can't offer, so they have special edition beers and wines in addition to already having a pretty impressive selection.

Hi-Times Wine Cellars is located at 250 Ogle St. in Costa Mesa.

-- Lauren Williams

Eat Out. Queso.

Going out for Mexican food is one of my favorite activities. From tortilla chips to various salsas and guacamole, and entree combinations of all kinds, I feel like I know a fair amount about the cuisine, at least how it's served in the United States anyway. Until I had Mexican food in Nashville, where a delicious cheese dip, "queso", is as common as guacamole.

While it must be entirely unhealthy, it's also creamy, cheesy, spicy, and all-around delicious. Now try to find it out on the West Coast. There are Chowhound threads dedicated to this problem. It's nearly impossible, but was achieved this weekend at El Segundo's Cozymels. The small chain has locations sprinkling the map fairly evenly, and fortunately doesn't reserve the queso only for Arkansas, Texas, and Tennessee.

There are plenty of recipes for making queso at home, and you might even be familiar with the Tostitos jar of it (which actually isn't half bad), but the experience of having it out, with a full Mexican meal, is pretty nice.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: rssmemphis.com

Eat In. Mac and Cheese.

OK, believe it or not, homemade macaroni is one of the easiest things I've ever made. And the pay-off is ridiculous. The recipe below makes 6ish servings (it makes as much in the picture above), but you could probably half the ingredients or play around with it until it feeds as many as you'd like. Also, be aware that there is--in my rough estimation--7000 calories packed in here. But hey, that's comfort food for you.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. elbow macaroni
• 3 tblsp. butter (plus a little extra to grease the baking pan)
• 3 tblsp. flour
• 2 cups cream
• 6 cups of cheese (we used cheddar and monterey jack)
• 6 slices of bacon*
• Salt, pepper, and whatever spices you like (we used a mix of cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, and a bit of nutmeg)
• breadcrumbs for topping

Directions:

• Prepare the macaroni according to the package (or, you know, boil it in water with a little bit of salt and oil, duh).
• Cook the bacon in a skillet, crumble or slice it, and make sure to reserve the delicious, greasy fat.
• Melt the butter in a sauce pan.
• Once the butter is done foaming, add the flour and whisk until all the lumps are gone.
• Let the roux (aka the butter and flour) darken to a sandy blonde.
• Whisk in salt, pepper, and spices
• Add the cream slowly, whisking the whole time until it's smooth.
• Dump in the cheese and whisk until everything is melted and tasty.
• Mix the cheese sauce, bacon bites, and drained pasta in the pasta pot.
• Pour the yummy mixture into a greased glass baking pan ( 13x9, maybe?).
• Spoon a few tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat into the breadcrumbs and mix until crumbly.
• Top your casserole with extra cheese and breadcrumbs.
• Bake at 375ish for 20ish minutes-- basically until the breadcrumbs are toasty and the cheese is bubbly.

*This is totally optional. I'd imagine you could also use a veggie, like peas. However, if you do opt out of the bacon, have some melted butter on hand to toss the breadcrumbs in.

-- Heather Robertson

Eat Out. Father's Office [two perspectives].

There’s a reason why Father’s Office (Santa Monica) is often standing room only. That reason is multi-faceted, and, to some, perfect. Their cheeseburger (blue cheese and gruyere, caramelized onions and arugula) has been long renowned as the best in L.A. by the gourmet set. And gourmet it is. At $12.50, some think substitutions should be allowed, but they are strictly prohibited. As is ketchup. But it doesn’t need it. It’s a juicy burst of savory goodness. And the piping hot sweet potato fries on the side and a cold beer make it all the more delicious. Especially if you have a seat. A perfect stop before or after a film at the Aero Theatre.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

I like to think of myself as a cheeseburger aficionado. Well, maybe not aficionado, because all ground beef between buns usually does the trick whether it’s from Rally’s or a ten-dollar jam at Umami Burger, but I really, really like cheeseburgers. And after all the hype surrounding Father’s Office, my burger tooth was prepared for a sublime meaty treat. Unfortunately, my expectations were not met.

The burgers are pan fried, not grilled, and really, I could cook up the same thing at home. The toppings are on point— the melty cheese, sweet onions, spicy arugula and the lovely bun it all floats on—but they have little impact surrounding such an ordinary patty.

Maybe it’s just the idea of spending hard-earned cash on something that tastes like my mom made it for a rushed Monday night dinner, or driving all the way out to Culver City to elbow through some bar-crowd looking for a table, but I think there are some other more satisfying—and cheaper!—burger joints in LA.

My advice? Stick to The Oinkster in Eagle Rock or even good ol’ Fatburger (lazy junk-foodies can even order online to really speed up the gratification) for a truly yummy burger experience.

-- Heather Robertson

Photo credit: Father's Office