The city of Chelsea is inviting residents to help add some spice to dinner tables across the city.

City Councilmember Juanita Champion is heading up the drive to collect recipes for a historical cookbook titled “A Taste of Chelsea.”

The cookbook is being released as part of the “Celebrate Chelsea” campaign, which is part of the state’s “Year of Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns” program. The “Celebrate Chelsea” campaign will culminate March 6, 2010, Chelsea’s homecoming weekend.

Champion said the cookbook offers residents an opportunity to be part of Chelsea’s history.

“We’re going to have historical tidbits throughout the book, and also, on the recipes we’re giving people an opportunity to tell us if the recipe has any history to it,” she said. “We think it’s a message for getting the history of Chelsea included in something that can also be useful and fun.”

Everyone in the Chelsea area is invited to participate by submitting up to 10 recipes. Champion said she couldn’t guarantee all submitted recipes will be included in the cookbook.

The deadline for submitting recipes is Dec. 15. To submit recipes, visit Cityofchelsea.com and look for the “Cookbook Info” link, or go to the Chelsea City Hall to pick up a submission form.

The cookbook committee is also searching for historical photographs as well as historical information about the Chelsea area.

For more information, contact Juanita Champion at jchampion@cityofchelsea.com or call Chelsea City Hall at 678-8455.