The Community Table Project: An Edmonton culinary experiment

Phil Wilson is taking a step away from the restaurant dining room to take a seat at the kitchen tables of everyday Edmontonians.

The food writerhas launched the Community Table Project as a way to sample signature recipes from "everyday folks"and document the entire experience on his blog, Baconhound.com.

"There are a lot of people that know how to cook a lot of good stuff at home. It's not just chefs and restaurants,"Wilson said during an interview on CBC Radio's Edmonton AM.

"Most people have a signature dish that they're really happy with, that they're really proud of, and all their friends love, so I decided to start this little project."

Although Wilson may havesome discerning tastes when it comes to food, he says any and all recipe submissionsare welcome.

"The door is wide open here. It could be an entree that you make, a main dish, that's great," Wilson said.

"And let's be honest, if it's a cocktail, that's even better."

Any offerings that piqueWilson's interest will be featured on his website, but only after he gets a taste.

Although he admits, with a laugh, that "food mooching" is an inherent part of the project, Wilson believes that stepping inside the family kitchen gives him a glimpse of something more valuable than anymeal.

"It's intended to be about the recipe, but it's also about building a sense of community around food. I want to see how people are sharing this food.

"You know,people get excited when Mom's making her famous meatballs, and that's the kind of thing I want to see."

Wilson'sfirst foray into home kitchens brought him to Mark Connolly's house, where the CBC Edmonton host baked his famous whole-wheat pizzaa meal which has become a Sunday night ritual for the entire family.

The recipe its pages now well-worn and stainedwas not passed down from generation to generation, but was procured instead from an unusual source.

The old handwritten recipe actually comes from a long-ago ex-boyfriend of Mark's wife Alyson. Mark dug it up 25 years ago, and made it his own.

"We were really impressed of the family aspect of the pizza making, everyone was hanging out around the kitchen island," Wilson said.

"We got a glimpse into the everyday life of the Connolly family, and it was great."