Svnseas: Setting Sail for a New Sea

Has it been three months already? I don't believe it, but it must be true because the calendar is turned to May and I'm caught between the photography and ceramics classes I'm taking, and getting the garden planted.

I swear I've been thinking about which ocean I wanted to choose next. I really wanted to do the Mediterranean but when I really thought about it I realized that this just isn't the season for that cuisine. May is my husband's Birthday month. I decided that since I always make a special meal for my family on their Birthday that I would base which sea I went to on what he wanted for his Birthday. I always let my family choose whatever they want...and I do mean whatever. So when I asked Brian what he wanted for his Birthday he thought about it and said that he wanted Beef Bourguignon. Done.

It was decided, I would cook from France for the month of May. This also means that for the next three months I will be cooking from countries bordering or that are closest to the North Atlantic ocean.

Picture taken from HRW World Atlas

The countries to choose from will be: Eastern Canada (This is counting from Winnipeg all the way to the coast), The United States ( From the Midwest to the East coast), The Bahamas, Cuba, The Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Haiti, The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, The Caribbean Islands, Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Portugal, and France.

I've decided to count Morocco as Mediterranean because I think the cuisine is more reminiscent of that area even though it boarders more of the North Atlantic. I've also chosen to count Northern Europe in with the Arctic Ocean so I have more countries to choose from when I get to that region. 

So for the North Atlantic I've decided to cook from France, Portugal, and somewhere in the Caribbean Ocean for the third country...I'm thinking maybe Cuba, but I haven't decided for sure yet. Here are some cookbooks I've found that look worthwhile:

1. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child
2. Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan
3. A taste of Old Cuba, by Maria Josefa Lluria De O'Higgins
4. Memories of a Cuban Kitchen, by Mary Urrutia Randelman
5. Portuguese Homestyle Cooking, by Patuleia Ortins
6. The Food of Portugal, by Jean Anderson

If you have any books to recommend for these regions just leave a comment or e-mail me etc. I'll include a list of any of your recommendations. The internet is a great tool for recipes as well. I have a ton pinned on my #sevenseas board over on pinterest. Friends are another great source of information. If you happen to know anyone from one of these regions chances are if you ask they will love to jump in and help out. 

Alright, so that's where I'll be for the next three months! I've already made my First French meal which we really enjoyed. It was an asparagus soup from Dorie Greenspan's book that I served with her cheddar and chive bread. 

The soup was simple and very appropriate for the overcast spring evening we had it on. It used a combination of leeks, onion, garlic, and shallots to go with the asparagus. Seasoned simply with salt and pepper, we really enjoyed it. The cheese and chive bread went with it perfectly.

Of course everyone loved this bread. Why wouldn't you? It's cheese, chives, and walnuts. I toasted some up for breakfast for Naiya this morning before school. I think she left happy. 

On a side note: as I mentioned earlier I've been taking a photography course at our local art center. I only ever knew how to use my digital camera on auto settings. I know...shameful. It's a really nice camera and can do so much that I was really not taking advantage of. I've been learning how to shoot on semi-auto settings and how to play with the exposure. Hopefully my photography will get better over the next year as I put into practice what I'm learning. Those shots above show a little of what I've been learning. I'm taking off the training wheels folks.