Metropolitan Mélange: Julia's Breakfast Sandwiches and Grilled Steak with Beurre Provençal

Philippe's brother Seb visited us for a long weekend this spring and we made sure to pack it with plenty of California food and sunshine. We started the weekend off with Julia's classic breakfast sandwiches, which are a combination of fried eggs sprinkled in cumin and then topped off with turkey bacon, cheese and sliced avocado on a toasted English muffin. We learned to pair our breakfast eggs with cumin on our trip to Morocco and have been doing this ever since.

No editing required...this is what our breakfast table looks like on weekends

We then headed to the Angeles National Forest and hiked a very rocky, creature-filled trail near Switzer Falls. We made it past the snakes, salamanders, frogs, and lizards without too much drama and Ginger came along for the ride.

After hiking, we headed home to get cooking...starting with mojitos, one of our favorite summer drinks. Seb was a fan too!

Seb learning to make his own mojito

We made use of the patio again, grilling flank steak while roasted tomatoes and garlic ciabatta bread were cooking in the oven.

Flat iron steak ready for the grill

Roasted tomatoes with fresh basil

The steak was prepared with a dry rub and Provençal butter. Lots of fresh herbs were required for the making of this meal. And warning- the bread recipe is for garlic fanatics only.