If you haven't yet cast your vote for the home cook you think is most deserving (desperate?) of a six-week culinary makeover, do so here.

And thanks to the dozens of readers who sent in their stories of just how badly they need help in the kitchen. The stories were humorous as well as heartbreaking.

There were more than a few mashed potato anecdotes and at least two meatloaf failures (one woman's dog, who has a habit of eating feces, wouldn't even touch her meatloaf).

A young attorney told of the sheer panic she felt trying to boil water for spaghetti. A police officer husband, nominating his nurse wife, revealed how spaghetti has caught on fire under her watch.

One gentleman was very specific -- he just wanted to know "how to whip up a killer pan of lasagna" -- while a widower accustomed to eating out described his struggle to learn the "basics and tips of everyday cooking."

The goal with this project is obviously to help our one chosen home cook learn those basics and gain the confidence and skills to build on them after the six weeks are up. But my hope is that those of you whose stories didn't get into the paper will still follow along -- this project is for you, too. I think you'll learn a thing or two.