Special occasions call for special foods. A dish that will reflect who or what is being celebrated. However, finding that ’special’ dish isn’t always easy, especially when there is so much pressure to make something wonderful for the event. As was the case this past weekend, when our dear friend Annie, celebrated her birthday. Yes, this is the same lovely lady that graduated this spring and was our inspiration for baking the White Out Cake. It’s the summer of Ann!!

Now, trying something new for a special dinner is generally not recommended. We think back to all the times when something that was supposed to be amazing failed miserably. Once upon a time, Jenn thought it would be wise to attempt a Pad Thai – it was an epic failure. She couldn’t eat it and resorted to cereal for dinner. Kristie attempted some sort of olive based pasta dish that ended with her and her husband ready to puke. The smell of olives filled the house which in turn caused  unified gag-reflexing motions. Thankfully, this Poppyseed Papparadelle was completely different – it was amazing! At first glance,  this recipe might be overlooked with the laundry list of ingredients, including red wine (which we promptly finished off), but every item compliments each other perfectly. This dish should not be missed – it has the ‘Jam‘ seal of approval!

Poppyseed Papparadelle (From: Rebar – Modern Food Cookbook, by Audrey Alsterberg & Wanda Urbanowicz)

1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large yellow onion, diced 2 teaspoons salt 8 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon red chile flakes 1 teaspoon dried dill weed 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika 2 1/2 lb button mushrooms 3 red peppers, 1/2 dice 1 1/2 cups red wine, Merlot 1 teaspoon cracked pepper 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1/4 cup chopped dill 1 lb. papparadelle noodles 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 tablespoon poppyseeds Sour cream or creme fraiche Heat the butter and olive oil in a wide-bottom pot over medium heat. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt; saute until the onion is soft and golden. Add garlic, chile flakes, dill and paprika; saute 5 more minutes. Turn up the heat and add the mushrooms and remaining salt, Stir and cover. When the mushroom juices being to cook off, stir in the peppers and deglaze the pan with wine. Let the wine reduce for a few minutes, then stir in soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and half of the chopped herbs. SImmer partially covered for 30 minutes. Add all by 2 tablespoons of the remaining herbs to the ragout just before serving. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Prepare the poppyseed butter by mixing the butter and seeds together thoroughly. Strain the pasta and toss with poppyseed butter. Serve noodles topped with ragout, a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with the reserved herbs.