Stories by Meredith Francis

Between 1908 and 1942, Chicago-based Sears, Roebuck, and Co. sold kits in its mail order catalogs that allowed people to build their own homes.

Lighten up! The holidays are almost here. Many of the Chicago area’s holiday light festivals kick off in mid-November and run through early January.

Do you follow local news in Chicago? Take our October news quiz to test your knowledge of this month's headlines.

After a week of intense competition, we have a winner of our Chicago candy bracket: Frango Mints! 

Who will advance to the final? Will it be Laffy Taffy or Butterfinger? Snickers or Frango Mints? Vote to decide by 3:00 pm on Thursday! 

Ahead of the premiere of Chicago Stories: Candy Capital and Halloween, we thought we’d stir up a little healthy competition. Vote for your favorite candy with Chicago connections!

A German-born Chicagoan by the name of Charles Gunther has an eclectic description: he was a Chicago alderman, a confectioner, and an avid collector. He is credited with bringing caramels to America, and he’s also to thank for some of the early collections at the Chicago History Museum. 

Do you keep up with the news in and around Chicago? Take our September 2023 news quiz to test your knowledge of the headlines this month. 

October in Chicago offers plenty of food truck festivals, wine tastings, and more.

Carlos Lozano was 10 years old when a fire broke out at Our Lady of the Angels school in 1958. Some 65 years later, his daughter, Bianca Lozano, worked as the associate producer for the upcoming WTTW Chicago Stories documentary about the fire. They share what the experience meant to their family and the difficulties of discussing a traumatic event.

Chicagoan Cam Brenson has taken to TikTok to share his journey of attempting to eat the cuisine of nearly every country without ever leaving the Chicago area.

There was a lot of political news this month in Chicago. Did you keep up with the headlines? Take our August news quiz.

A popular Polish food festival returns this September, along with various Oktoberfest celebrations. 

Alex Moncada didn't have much baking experience when he set out to make his "empanolis," which are a hybrid of an empanada and a ravioli. But Moncada found inspiration in the flavors and recipes from his mother's kitchen.

Brent Raska, the founder of Burning Bush Brewery, is used to getting questions about how he went from the pastor of a small church to the head of a North Side brewery. But he has found one common thread: community.