There were stories about the daylong cook-off and stories about the 10 winners, many of whom shared stories about their recipes.

Most of the Cookbooks have probably been stowed away, cut up or recycled by now, but there are still more stories to tell. So before I close the books on another Cookbook, I'll share a few more of the stories that made this year's contest unique.

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Every year, I greet the onslaught of recipes with a mixture of anticipation and dread.

Most of the entries show up in my mailbox, mixed in with the wedding announcements and school honor rolls. A few are faxed, and a good many are hand-delivered to the newsroom in the final days before the deadline. Some are e-mailed, and, for the first time this year, cooks submitted recipes online using a form on our website.

Of the 130 contest entries, Irna Perkins' Apple Crisp stood out. It was handwritten on the entry blank published almost daily in the paper in the weeks leading up to the contest. Enclosed was a story that made me smile in the middle of a big pile of mail — and that's something I don't usually do.

"Dear Sir: Enclosed is a copy of the favorite at Edmeston Central School for dessert," the note said. "I had to watch for an extra held under the lunch tray of some of the `big boys.' Of course, it was easy to see by the smirk or guilty look on their face what was going on. Sincerely, Irna Perkins, former school lunch director."

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In January, I told the story of a mother and daughter who spent hours poring over microfilm at Huntington Memorial Library, searching for a misplaced banana bread recipe from the 1974 Daily Star Cookbook.

The recipe, submitted by one Sharon Coger of East Worcester, had been the daughter's favorite for years, and though her mother had tried other recipes, none tasted quite the same.

That story has an epilogue.

A few weeks after the column appeared, I got a call from Sharon (Coger) Abel of West Chazy, near Plattsburgh. Some relatives in the Worcester area had sent her my column, and she called to tell me she was "tickled" to read about her beloved banana bread in The Daily Star.

The recipe, Sharon said, came from a Fannie Farmer cookbook. "I still use that recipe myself," she said. "My family also fell in love with it."

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The cook-off itself, held Feb. 21 at Hannaford, had many of the elements of a good story: characters, action, suspense — and a happy ending.

At 6 p.m., all the contestants had left, and the judges were poring over score sheets to determine the final rankings. As I cleaned up the counter area, I noticed a forgotten serving spoon, a toothpick-filled shot glass and a large, white cutting board. In the refrigerator, I found a marinated steak.

The cutting board was decorated like a canvas with ingredients from the dish its owner had prepared: flecks of spinach, bits of mushroom and tomato. I knew the cutting board, along with the glass and possibly the spoon, belonged to Kevin Stillman. I added the three items to a shopping cart full of leftover napkins and paper plates to take back to the office.

I was still trying to figure out what to do about the forgotten steak when Kitty Brennan appeared. She had been on her way back home to Cooperstown when she realized she had left the steak in the refrigerator.

Apparently, she had plans for that steak, because she turned around and came back — just in time to hear, straight from judge Eric Erway, that she had won the grand prize.

"Really?" she said, a huge smile spreading across her face. "I'm stunned! Thank you," she said, putting her palms together and giving the judges a mock bow.

Usually, I call all the contestants to tell them how they fared, and this was the first time I'd seen the grand-prize winner get the good news in person.

And I've got to tell you, seeing the look on Kitty's face was worth more than a free steak.

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Lisa Miller is The Daily Star's community editor. She can be reached at (607) 441-7216 or lmiller@thedailystar.com.