Ready, set ... cook! Finale, live cook-off tonight

The fifth annual Daily Herald Cook of the Year will be named tonight and awarded the coveted giant spoon as the Cook of the Week Challenge 2015 comes to a close.

Starting with an original 16 home cooks on Sept. 2, two rounds and 12 challenges have trimmed the roster down to four — Marie Bass of Mount Prospect, Kim Bradley of Glen Ellyn, Bill Hicks of Carpentersville and Chelsea La Valle of Deer Park.

These four home cooks will go head-to-head in a live cook-off starting at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, at the Westin Chicago Northwest in Itasca.

You can still be part of the audience as tickets are available for $20 at the door or at events.dailyherald.com.

While the four cooks man their stations and create dishes to wow the judges, you can enjoy drinks and appetizers, watch celebrity chef demonstrations, visit with contest sponsors and sample their wares.

For complete Cook of the Week Challenge 2015 coverage, visit dailyherald.com/lifestyle/food/cookchallenge.