Get Your PJs On
PJ’s Coffee House of New Orleans 8026 E Main St, Ridgeland, SC 29936
PJ’s is in Ridgeland, not far off I-95. But don’t think of taking the interstate; instead, if coming from Savannah or Hilton Head, head north on Highway 17, where you can open the windows and enjoy the breeze as you cruise beneath sections of road where the live oaks conspire to form a covered bridge to shade your journey.
PJ’s is a NOLA-based franchised coffeehouse that doesn’t feel like a chain shop. For one thing, there’s a glorious wraparound porch, bannered in an art-deco style wrought iron railing that gives the nod to its New Orleans roots. The small tables scattered around the porch offer coffee-sippers gentle small-town breezes and a quiet ambiance that invites conversation that goes beyond small talk.
I recently made a second visit, taking my mother for a weekday brunch. Mom is a big fan of sweets and pastries, so I fully expected her to go for the strawberry jam and cream cheese croissant, but instead, she opted for the chicken salad croissant. I chose the pizza bagel, which came loaded with pepperoni. I’m normally not a flavored coffee gal, so I ordered a latte, but Mom insisted I try her Southern Pecan latte, and I will admit, it won me over.
If you check out the beverage board, you’ll note the abundance of cold beverage options. Cold brew is a thing I haven’t wrapped my mind around yet; however, drinks like Honey Macadamia Nut Velvet Ice and “A cold and caramel-icious granita topped with whipped cream and a sweet caramel swirl,” are tempting.
Because PJ’s is just off I-95 it can be a great stop coming or going from the North, just remember the hours are “coffee shop” 7 am to 3 pm.
Ginger Carrot Soup
As I grew up, carrots were roasted brown things, mushy clods underneath the roast half stuck to the pan. My apologies if that sounds good to you.
We were told to eat our carrots because they were “good for your eyes.”
So, it was with a bit of dread that I tried my L.A.-based-brother’s Ginger Carrot Soup, prepared for lunch during a visit because his wife was “mostly” vegetarian. (Mostly being except for bacon, LOL, and thank goodness!)
Boy, was I surprised at how fresh, bright, and umami a warm bowl of this thick and nourishing soup turned out to be! Turns out, carrots are good for far more than our eyes, being a fair source of B vitamins and vitamin C.
And ginger is, well, Ginger is carrot’s evocative second wife, who easily eradicated any lingering roast beef residue from my carrot memories. Ginger is zippy and has flair, so remember, a little goes a long way in this soup.
Ingredients
Here's how to give it a go:
A 2 lb. bag of carrots, trimmed and peeled
1-2 inches of ginger root, finely grated
2 boxes of broth, vegetable, or chicken, or both
¼ C diced onion
¼ C diced celery
3 cloves smashed garlic
½ C heavy cream-optional
2 T butter
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Directions
Prep a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread carrots in a thin layer. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45-60 minutes at 350˚F until tender.
Cook your onion, celery, and garlic in a stock pot with butter until soft. Add broth and ginger root.
If you have an immersion blender, that’s one route you can take to pulverize the carrots in the soup. If not, put the carrots in a blender or food processor, and add in some ladles of the broth with the cooked vegetables. The texture can be adjusted to your taste; I prefer to leave some bits and have a more rustic soup, but if the puree is your way, go for it. Check your seasoning here; maybe add a dash of salt, more ginger, a splash of vinegar, or a touch of honey or syrup, depending on your carrots and palate.
Whether you add the heavy cream is up to you. An alternative would be to add a lovely scoop of sour cream, Greek yogurt, or crème fraiche as you serve. Not necessary, of course…but…yeah…
Top with Homemade Croutons. See below.
Best Croutons, Ever
Homemade, of course!
This is the time to clear out the crusts and frozen break stashed in the nooks of your freezer, they’ve been waiting for their moment to shine, and this is it! Bring it on sourdough, rye, extra bagels, and buns; everyone is welcome to the party.
Let your bread come to room temp so it will be a flavor sponge.
Prep a cookie sheet with parchment paper. I melt butter and olive oil together, about ½ C. Brush your bread to the edges. Next, I pull out my spice drawer and pick 3 or 4 flavors. For example, Apple Smoked Salt, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, and Oregano. Or Honey Aleppo Pepper, Thyme, and Everything Bagel. No rules! Be free! It’s only dried bits of bread; like macaroni necklaces, if the artist in you ends up with regrets, you can chuck it, and you’ll be quickly forgiven.
Cutting croutons
If you’re a neatnik, then you’ll get relatively more square croutons if you trim the bread into croutons before toasting. If you’re a wabi-sabi fan, then you can cut the bread into glorious rustic bits after they’ve gone through the slow-toast process. If you revisit my pic with the soup, you can see by the crumbs, I chose the wabi-sabi route.
Bake and Store
Bake your bready bits in the toaster oven or regular oven for about an hour at 275˚F.
Croutons store easily in the freezer, so you can pop out a small baggie as needed for soups and salads.
A Whiff of Inspo…
I’d love to share links to other writers who understand the power of cooking.
Today I discovered Stephanie Danler’s On Pretend Cooking
I loved her reference to Ruby Tandoh’s Cook as You Are, and how Ruby understands the importance of daydreaming about food that we may never cook, “this wishful thinking is . . . how we get acquainted with our appetites and, by extension, ourselves.”
Stephanie’s story is sad, brave, and vulnerable, and a reminder to me to be so grateful for the relationship I have with my mother. Here’s the link to her work…
And Just for Fun
This little troublemaker is named Cleo.
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