Applications due at 5 p.m. today for Cook of the Week Challenge 2018

We're extending the deadline for cooks to apply for spots in this year's Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge. Time is running out and you have until 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23.

All you need to get in on the fun is a love of cooking, an adventurous spirit when facing new or unusual ingredients and the ability to commit to the few weeks of the challenge this fall. Done.

Just like last year, everyone faces the same basket of secret ingredients each week and creates a dish showcasing the ingredients.

Celebrity chefs, former contestants, and food professionals will pass judgment and eliminate one cook each week. In each of the four weeks of elimination cooking, challengers get about a week, in their own homes, to create recipes.

The prize packages, while different each year, are a traditional draw. In years past the Cook of the Year has gone home with kitchen appliances, gadgets and other prizes valued at more than $1,500.

At the end of September, we'll introduce our eight contestants to readers in the Daily Herald print editions and online.

The first week of October you can read about the competition, hear from the cooks about their experiences in the challenge, and see what our judges have to say about each recipe.

The final four cooks will meet in the traditional live cook-off finale. This popular event is Nov. 12 at the Westin in Itasca.

Interested? Apply online at https://events.dailyherald.com/cook-of-the-week/.