Stories by Daniel Hautzinger

It's apple season! For something different than apple pie, try this French Apple Cake from Christopher Kimball's Milk Street – it's almost as if you took baked apples and swathed them in a delicious custard, the perfect dessert for early fall.

September is Hispanic Heritage Month, so we're spotlighting the stories of a memorable Chicano activist and a Mexican photographer who worked with Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as tours of Havana, Mexico, and somewhere closer to home.

When the young Nella marries the wealthy merchant Johannes Brandt in seventeenth-century Amsterdam, she is thrust into a house full of secrets, not least of which is her wedding gift: a miniature replica of the home that seems to have power over reality.

From the feted arrival of an Italian Fascist in Chicago during the Century of Progress World's Fair (commemorated with the renaming of a street and a monument donated by Mussolini) to the infamous controversy where neo-Nazis tried to march in Skokie, learn about fascist flare-ups in Chicago.

Try this one-pan weeknight dinner from Christopher Kimball's Milk Street the next time you're craving some take-out Chinese food. This recipe will take just as long, taste just as good if not better, and probably be healthier for you.

Take a tour of the new Chicago Architecture Center and discover its new features, including an expanded and newly interactive Chicago model and a skyscraper gallery. The Center is located inside a Mies van der Rohe building with a vantage of some of Chicago's most famous buildings.

Discover the stories behind more of Chicago's favorite indie bookstores on the South Side, including a legendary, long-lived one that counts Barack and Michelle Obama amongst its fans.

Through two innovative programs, one anchored in a graphic novel and one providing women and young people of color with the skills necessary to enter the historically white male field of architecture, the Chicago Architecture Center aims to foster a sense of civic identity and stewardship.

Try a recipe for the spicy North African staple from Christopher Kimball's Milk Street and you'll have your own homemade versatile condiment, ready to add some extra flavor and spice when you're grilling, roasting, or making stews.

Independent bookstores remain an irreplaceable asset, with their staff recommendations and sense of community. We've already featured three Chicago stalwarts, but here are the stories of a few more of the city's beloved indie bookstores.

This August, catch up on two popular series before they return with new seasons. Plus travel to majestic corners of the globe as the summer winds to a close, and take an in-depth look at education in Chicagoland as children begin to return to school.

Even people who bake bread at home often don't know how to make pita. Try this rigorous, exact recipe from Christopher Kimball's Milk Street, and soon you'll be serving entirely homemade Middle Eastern feasts.

Last year, Illinois spent less than $300 on prison libraries, and access is often very limited. So Chicago Books to Women in Prison does exactly what its name says.  “By helping women have a better quality of life while in prison, that's just better for their family and the community they'll be returning to," says a volunteer.

The Bahá’i House of Worship on the lakefront north of Chicago is sometimes called the "silent teacher" for the way that it illustrates principles of the faith, many of which are incorporated into the striking, innovative, ornate design, which took 50 years to realize.

If you love books, you probably also love bookstores, and independent bookstores remain irreplaceable gems, with their staff recommendations, unusual selections, and sense of community. Discover the stories behind a few of Chicago's beloved indie bookstores.