The author and illustrator of a new picture book, Bing’s Cherries, by Livia Blackburne and Julia Kuo, have shared their experiences in the book. The story traces the origins of the Bing cherry, with a young girl imagining the life of Ah Bing, the Chinese immigrant who cultivated the fruit. The book is described as a kind of mythology that incorporates fact and folklore into the story. The author also discussed the Taste of Iceland at Palace Kitchen, where Icelandic artists, musicians, chefs, astronomers, and comedians all gathered for an open and personal event. Other notable events included a total solar eclipse visible from Reykjavík this August, the first since 1433, and a five-course meal built around Pacific Northwest ingredients.