This week on Under the Radar:

The country's recent racial reckoning has sparked a renewed interest in Juneteenth — nearly every state in the country recognizes the holiday, and this year many employers gave staffers the day off. But there is alarm that broader embrace of the holiday has sparked the worst kind of exploitive marketing and promotion. Local observances, however, are lifting up the meaning of Juneteenth and connecting the historic event to today’s racial reckoning.

GUESTS:

Kahina Van Dyke owner of Narragansett House, Dunmere By The Sea, and Inkwell Beach House in Oak Bluffs and creator of the Martha’s Vineyard Juneteenth Jubilee.

Skip Finley, author, writer, and one of the organizers of Martha’s Vineyard Juneteenth Jubilee. He is also director of sales and marketing for the Vineyard Gazette Media Group.

Nicole McClain, founder and president of the Northshore Juneteenth Association.

When authors and directors invite audiences into an imagined world, they know that food can’t be left off the table. And fans are feasting on a delicious genre: pop culture cookbooks. Recipes and imaginary narratives combine to bring cuisines from fictional universes to real life. A sprinkling of books from this genre have been around for decades. But in the past few years, demand from fandoms has grown, and publishers are all too willing to satiate their hunger.

As part of our Summer Fun Series, we’re bringing you a show chock-full of fictional-turned-real recipes and the masterminds behind them.

First up, the culinary delights of Marvel’s Wakanda!

Guest:

Nyanyika Banda, Malawian-American chef, writer, entrepreneur, and author of the newly released Marvel’s Black Panther: The Official Wakanda Cookbook. Nyanyika is based in Amherst, Mass.

Ten years ago, we talked with fantasy food blogger Chelsea Monroe-Cassel about creating recipes inspired by the book and HBO series Game of Thrones. We’ll listen back to our original conversation and then reconnect to hear about how she’s turned her fantasy fandom into a full-time career.

Guest:

Chelsea Monroe-Cassel is the author of “A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook,” “World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook,” “Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook” and many more! Her latest, “The Star Trek Cookbook” will hit the shelves in September and is available for pre-order online.

It seems we're all ready for a full-on embrace of summer after two years of cautious living because of COVID-19. People are ready to enjoy all the wonders of the season: diving into the ocean, feeling sand under their toes at the beach, taking lazy naps in the hammock, and slowly swinging on the porch — not to mention long, uninterrupted hours of reading. Summer readers, grab your book bags! Three local librarians return with recommendations from 2022’s best books from historical fiction and young adult stories to science fiction and romance. It’s our annual summer reading special.

Guests:

Susannah Borysthen-Tkacz, senior librarian at the Cambridge Public Library.

Robin Brenner, teen librarian at the Public Library of Brookline.

Veronica Koven-Matasy, reader services specialist at the Boston Public Library.

Roxbury artist Napoleon Jones-Henderson’s life’s work has been dedicated to ‘’the beauty of Black culture.” More than 50 years ago, he joined with members of the Chicago art collective AfriCOBRA, committed to using their art to empower Black communities. But it was during his decades-long career in Boston where Jones-Henderson flourished, creating his African inspired mixed media pieces. Now his colorful and expressive work is on display at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art in a new exhibit: “I Am As I Am—A Man.”

Guests:

Napoleon Jones-Henderson. Roxbury-based artist, educator, and mentor who creates works on pan-Africanism and racial justice.

Jeffrey De Blois, assistant curator and publications manager for the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston who organized the “I Am As I Am—A Man” exhibit.

We're kicking off the official start of summer savoring refreshing new food and wine trends. We’re talking flower syrups galore: think violets, roses and lilacs that add a floral twist to drinks. Plus, wine made smoky by California wildfires has been tough to sell. But winemakers are embracing inventive ways to ensure nothing goes to waste. At the same time, wine lovers are drinking less red wine, sipping more white and rosé.

And have you heard? Foodies are time-traveling back to the ’80s. They can’t seem to get enough of French onion soup mix, sun-dried tomatoes and other old-school ingredients.

Guests:

Amy Traverso, senior food editor at Yankee Magazine, co-host of GBH’s “Weekends with Yankee," and author of “The Apple Lover’s Cookbook.”

Jonathon Alsop, founder and executive director of the Boston Wine School, and author of “The Wine Lover’s Devotional.”

This week on Under the Radar with Callie Crossley:

Boston-based pediatrician Mark Vonnegut has seen a lot during his 40 years practicing medicine. His latest book, “The Heart of Caring: A Life in Pediatrics,” is both a love letter to the profession and a critical look at the problems plaguing the healthcare industry. What’s the state of healthcare in America today, and how can it improve?

This week on Under the Radar with Callie Crossley:

The pandemic has accelerated the systemic problems elders face, like caregiver burnout, nursing home shutdowns and worsening isolation. Not to mention the ever-increasing price tag that comes with such care. But inspired by global models and local successes, innovative solutions are on the rise. During May, Older Americans Month, we're giving an up-close look at specific ways to improve the systems and culture that support and sustain elders.

GUESTS:

Jessica Kim is cofounder of ianacare, a Boston-based startup that provides tech-enabled caregiver support through employers and health plans.

Joe Carella is executive director of the Scandinavian Living Center, an assisted-living facility specializing in community-centered living in Newton, Mass.

Marlena del Hierro is a gerontologist and VP of partnerships at Seniorly, an online platform providing access and insight to thousands of senior living communities across the country.

This week on Under the Radar with Callie Crossley:

Too Good To Go is an app that connects consumers with surplus food from local eateries that would otherwise be tossed, and sells it at a steeply discounted price. The app launched in Boston at the start of the pandemic, with a mission to reduce food waste and improve sustainability.

GUESTS:

Claire Oliverson, U.S. head of marketing for Too Good To Go.

Ben Schafer, project manager of retail initiatives and operations at Peet’s Coffee.

This week on Under the Radar with Callie Crossley:

COVID-19 might make all the headlines, but another crisis is afoot: loneliness. Pandemic-times have only exacerbated chronic loneliness by creating a world of isolation and social distancing. Can ecovillages — a unique model fostering community and connection — be one answer?

Ecovillage cohousing communities have been popular in Europe for decades, but interest here in the United States is ramping up. These communities are designed to integrate sustainability into all aspects of community living, and to create strong bonds between neighbors who all collaborate in the decision-making for the group.

Residents of three local communities share their communal experiences and why, post-pandemic, there is even more interest in this model of living.

GUESTS:

Dave Shevett, resident and one of the founders of Mosaic Commons, a cohousing neighborhood, part of the Sawyer Hill Ecovillage in Berlin, Massachusetts.

Sarah Heile, resident of Camelot Cohousing, also part of the Sawyer Hill Ecovillage in Berlin, Massachusetts.

Steve Chiasson, resident of Belfast Cohousing and Ecovillage in Belfast, Maine.