Janet Ayer, aka Mrs. Kellogg Fairbank, was a true blue-blood, and also a writer: Her 1925 novel was runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. Somewhere in the midst of her busy social calendar, Mrs. Fairbank became a powerful political player in Chicago.

Lutefisk - gelatinous fish treated with lye - has a reputation for being gross. But who knew it was so much work? Foodie Catherine Lambrecht found out the hard way.

A surprising number of local theatre companies are moving into new digs in the midst of a struggling economy.

After Japan's earthquake and subsequent tsunami, the Nanohana Project has become part of a larger volunteer effort to actively help local farmers get back to growing food.