I’m Canadian, born and raised. For a ten year stretch, from the mid-nineties to 2005, I lived in the United States. These are the two countries I know, so it made sense to set my novels in these countries.
My first novel, Dead Man's Hand, was set in Las Vegas. My second novel, Kiss & Tell, set in Los Angeles. Canada and the United States, both in North America, are very similar when dealing with things like foods, language, culture, activities, etc.
But for my new novel, Wild Card, I challenged myself. Part of Wild Card is set in South America, more specifically, Brazil and Colombia. So the internet was my friend, and played a key role in my research, especially when learning special dishes because let’s face it, my characters have to eat.
More:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2017/10/foodfic-please-welcome-back-luke-murphy.html