April 8, 1998
Sandwich bowls over university
Suzanne McAtee's 'lavosh dill sandwich' wins Bowling Green's Taste of Home contest
By Eric Dick
Herald editor
It's not a $24-million Lotto jackpot. Nor is it a trip for two to Canc£n, Mexico. And Suzanne McAtee will not be coming on down as the next game-show contestant.
But for now and forevermore, the 16th Street resident is the Bowling Green State University 1997-98 Taste of Home Recipe Contest grand prize winner.
She can't drive it home, but her daughter does get a semester's worth of free meals.
"I was really surprised that we won it. It was really shocking," said her daughter, Anne Johnston, 42, a doctoral student at the Ohio university.
Suzanne McAtee's lavosh dill sandwich bested nearly 1,800 other recipes, including top five finalists eggplant sandwich from Concord, Ohio, and chicken stir fry from West Point, N.Y.
Johnston entered her mother's recipe in the contest on a whim. The prelude began in November when McAtee, the ever thoughtful mother of a college student, whipped up four of the sandwiches to go for her daughter's return trip to Ohio. Johnston had spent the weekend in Traverse City speaking at an American cultural studies convention at the Waterfront Inn.
"It's a simple sandwich," McAtee explained. "You know how kids live in the fast lane these days."
Back in Bowling Green, Johnston was munching one of her mother's dill-flavored care packages when, while checking her mail, she came across a flyer promoting the Taste of Home Recipe Contest.
The idea bulb popped.
"I wanted to do it just so everybody knows what a great cook she (McAtee) is," said Johnston, who earned her master's degree in international relations and diplomacy while studying in Europe.
"I've eaten all over the world, and even French cuisine doesn't stand up to Mom's home cooking."
The Taste of Home competition drew about 1,800 recipes from students. University dining personnel narrowed the field to five finalists, with many of the 18,000 campus residents choosing the overall winner last month during a free lunch held in each of the eight dining halls.
For her part, McAtee said there was nothing to it - as any modest mom who loves to cook would.
"It isn't a secret recipe," said McAtee, a semiretired part-time baker for Tom's Food Markets who used to work in the deli. "There's so many variations of this all over the country, it isn't even funny."
Begin with lavosh bread, she instructed. Lay turkey slices on top, sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese ... .
"Are you tickled to win the grand prize?" a reporter interrupted.
"Well," she quickly replied, "I better finish telling you about the sandwich."
Sprinkle with lettuce. Put dill pickle in the middle ... .
Ah, the thorough gourmet. Indeed, cooking is not taken lightly in that family. McAtee cooks for church and other community functions. And Great Grandma Ada Harris once won an award from the governor for her butter recipe.
Now, the award-winning cooking tradition continues. Thousands of college students have given Suzanne McAtee and her lavosh dill sandwich two forks up. Better than the honey chicken wings, they ruled. More tasty than the beef-filled noodles.
"We beat them all with the sandwich. I couldn't believe it," Johnston said.
"So, Mom's cool. It's great."