"pork belly" news and stories

Here's a question for all you Freakonomic's fans out there: what do this week's stultifying heat indexes across much of the country have to do with the price of pork bellies?

If you answered that both are at or near record highs, then you get a gold star (you deserve something if you know the price of pork bellies). But you get two gold stars if you answered something along the lines of what was reported in Monday's Wall Street Journal...

On the list of foods that immediately conjure the taste of summer -- strawberries, peaches, watermelon, etc -- bacon is probably about as far down on the list as pumpkin pie. But, when the mercury is knocking on 95 and you want to get out of the kitchen as fast a possible, what do you turn to? A good old B.L.T.

Bushels of chiles. Photo: alex.lines, Flickr.

• In Central Texas, pepper season peaks with spicy bites like poblanos and green chiles -- plus vodka, soup and quick-fix recipes.
• Austin Cake Ball is making a splash with their unique round and tasty confections.
• Austin winemaker Ross Outon survives the first round of PBS vino-centric reality show, "The Winemakers."
• Food Matters looks into chicken-friendly recycling, the Alamo's new diner/bowling alley/karaoke bar, in-season veggies, Cake Wrecks, openings and closings and food/drink briefs.
• Bacon is not the only goodness that comes from the wildly diverse pork belly.