Debby Atwell of Rockland got a surprise telephone call the other day. The caller wanted to know if Debby was going to busy around Sept. 19 as reservations were being made for her to travel to Seattle, Wash., compliments of the American Cattlewomen’s Association.

Suddenly Debby remembered. She had cut a recipe contest blank from the local newspaper and submitted her own “Steak au poivre dijonaisse” recipe in the national contest.

The recipe won first prize in Maine and Atwell will represent the state in a national cook-off at Seattle, Wash. Atwell, who also serves as a member of the SAD 5 Board of Directors, was telling fellow board members about the contests and the call from the association recently. She said she had been so flabbergasted she forgot to find out if the association paid for expenses for the West Coast trip.

“I think they pay for the plane ticket, but I don’t know about other expenses,” she said.

She said she had entered the contest so long ago that she had forgotten about it until the telephone call. “I even lost the recipe,” she said. It was evident that the school director, however, would have no difficulty duplicating her steak dish. She was unwilling to share her secret prize-winning recipe.

“I’ve got to keep it a secret until the contest in Seattle,” she said.