Chapter 32: The Baptism of the Palate

Chapter 32: The Baptism of the Palate

Back at the house with the green roofs, we left the bags on the clean kitchen counter and started cooking immediately. Ethan promised me that he would teach me how to prepare a typical Icelandic dish called Plokkfiskur, accompanied by a traditional lamb stew with local spices.

It was a wonderful experience. Watching him move around the kitchen explaining how Icelandic families have used the same recipes for generations to combat the cold of the north made me feel part of an ancient ritual. When the meat was ready and the aroma flooded the space, we served the dishes. Taking the first bite was an absolute revelation. Oh my God, what a delight! The lamb, tender and perfectly seasoned with the spices of the earth, was a bomb of pleasure in the mouth, a texture and taste I had never experienced. Ethan couldn't stop laughing at my gestures of surprise and absolute delight as he savored every bit. My expressions of culinary happiness were the best reward for his effort.

As we ate dinner in the heat of the kitchen, we agreed that we would not start working at the publishing house until next week. Ethan wanted these first days to be for me, a time of grace to adapt without pressure. He suggested that I spend this whole week touring the place, getting to know Akureyri and exploring the surroundings so that my body and mind would get used to the slow pace of life on the island.