Stories by Daniel Hautzinger

A new Great Performances series explores the broader culture classical music fits into, from the architecture it was played in to the dance, fashion, landscape, and food that help explain it. Learn more about the globetrotting Now Hear This. 

If you watch WTTW with an over-the-air antenna, you will need to rescan your television on October 15, 2019 in order to keep receiving WTTW.

This versatile dough from Christopher Kimball's Milk Street incorporates Greek yogurt for some extra chewiness (and ease of making it). It can be topped with za'atar and sesame seeds or anything else, or simply baked plain to use with dips. 

Tlayudas are a common antojito, or street food, in Oaxaca. Somewhat similar to a pizza, they are a large tortilla topped with black beans, cheese, and other ingredients that is then grilled open-faced. Try a folded-over version from Christopher Kimball's Milk Street here. 

As Chicagoans know, deep dish isn't the only style of pizza indigenous to the city. There's also the thin, crisp crust and square slices of tavern-style pizza. You probably have a favorite joint to get it from, but why not try your hand at making it yourself, with help from Cook's Country. 

There are more than 30 international co-productions of Sesame Street, all adapted to local cultures and issues, and many featuring their own unique characters. Take a look at some of the streets (or trees, or gardens) around the world where Muppets and humans teach children valuable lessons. 

“Country music is a different way to look at who we are as people and what our shared history is," says Dayton Duncan, the writer and producer of Ken Burns's upcoming eight-part Country Music documentary series. "It is uniquely American in its origin."

"For me, sustainability is developing and training the largest sum of African American and brown young men and women that I can possibly find," says chef Erick Williams, who has recently garnered national acclaim for his new Hyde Park restaurant, Virtue.

Try a recipe for poached chicken breasts in a green mole made with pumpkin seeds, from the newest season of Mexico: One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless. Green mole is a bit simpler than many of its cousins, so it won't take dozens of ingredients and all day to cook. 

Chicago is well-known for music: electric blues, gospel, jazz, house. For a couple decades, it was also home to one of the United States' most popular country music radio shows, a program that launched the careers of stars and may have inspired the Grand Ole Opry.

Angel Idowu is a Chicago native who is excited to return home after farflung journalistic assignments. “When I wasn’t living in Chicago, every time I heard someone say Chicago or saw an Illinois license plate I would get excited," she says.

Cathy contrives a plan with Mrs. C to do something about the predatory Anthony, a situation that has made Geordie angry all the time and leads him to overstep in an investigation of the death of one of his daughter's classmates, in the season finale.

Chicago isn't the only place in the Midwest with exceptional architecture. Geoffrey Baer spotlights road trip-worthy destinations within driving distance of Chicago, from well-known marvels to hidden gems in unexpected places. 

When a difficult incident brings Will home to his family, he asks Geordie to join him as he tries to confront his family. Will's unexpected background is revealed—and a sudden death leads to a murder investigation, while Leonard stews back in Grantchester. 

Learn a bit about WTTW's new Head of Programming and Pledge, Lisa Tipton, and what she loves most about scheduling WTTW's shows. Plus, get her must-watch recommendations for August.