Cheese Wiz

It all started when a gaggle of gregarious gals went out for my pal Stacy's b-day to a New Orlean's themed spot called Mara's Homemade. Several of the ladies at the table succumbed to Mara's mac-n-cheese as their entree, dreamin of gooey, rich cheesiness. Mara's certainly hit the right notes - but, gourmand that I am, I couldn't help remark that my mac-n-cheese is better. Then, one of Stacy's close friends, Gourmel Gal, who happens to run a successful catering business, chimed in that her recipe was better as well.

Stacy's eyes lit up with the fire of lust - lust for cheese. A bake-off was in the offing!

And, last night, said bake-off occurred in my humble Brooklyn abode. Two creamy, cheesy, starchy casseroles would meet three critical judges - Erica,Maureen and Stacy. Gourmet Gal and I were quaking in our boots (high-heel boots, but boots nonetheless.)

Kudos must go to Gourmet Gal for her exhaustive research into the science of macaroni and cheese, experimenting endlessly with different brands of macaroni (Barilla's ridged version coming out on top for texture), milk vs. half-n-half, and cheddar brands - ranging from Tillamook to Cabot.

On the other hand, I just made my tried-and-true recipe, sans pancetta, as we wanted to "wage war" on equal "cheese-only" footing.

Who won the contest? Who was crowned the Cheese Wiz? You'll have to wait on that information - along with waiting on the recipes.

But, I will tell you this: A table of rowdy women, combined with artery clogging cuisine and several bottles of alcohol makes for quite an enjoyable, entertaining and enlightening evening.

Draw your own conclusions.