A while back, Houston Matters went on a search to identify Houston’s signature food. Many major cities are known for a particular signature food. Chicago has deep dish pizza, Philadelphia has cheese steaks, and St. Louis has toasted ravioli.

And while, yes, we have Tex Mex in Houston and kolaches — and great barbecue and great steakhouses — none of that is specifically unique to Greater Houston. On this edition of Houston Matters Weekend, we hear our food writers from The Full Menu folks tackle the issue.

Also this hour…

How Vulnerable is Houston to Cyber Attacks?

In 2015, the annual Energy Security Council conference was held in the Woodlands, focused on security for the oil, gas, electricity, power, pipeline, transmission and service sectors. Two other conferences, Secure World conference and Cyber Security for Oil and Gas Summit also met in Houston. Sounds like a lot of activity in the city surrounding cyber security. There’s a reason. Rigzone estimates “the oil and gas industry…faces cyber attacks at an average rate of 2.4 million times per week.”

We find out what steps have been taken to protect Houston-based oil and gas companies from high-profile cyber attacks, including “Shamoon,” “Crouching Yeti,” and “Energetic Bear.”

Understanding the Singularity 

We delve (hopefully) even further into our future, to a potential day when artificial intelligence we’ve created exceeds our understanding and control. It’s a concept known as the technological singularity hypothesis, and while it sounds like the stuff of science fiction (think Isaac Asimov’s “I Robot,” or films like “The Matrix,” “The Terminator,” and “2001: A Space Odyssey“), it raises ethical questions for engineers in genetics, nanotechnology and advanced robotics, among other disciplines.

We talk it over with Rice Professor Timothy Morton, the author of several books, including Hyperobjects: Philosophy and Ecology After the End of the World.

The Sounds of Mexico, Circa 17th Century

When you think of traditional holiday music, you might not think of Mexico. But the local chamber ensemble Mercury will highlight the sacred sounds of 17th-century Mexico with their performances of A Mexican Baroque Christmas. To learn more about the program – and to hear some of the music – Houston Public Media’s Catherine Lu talked with alto Cecilia Duarte and artistic director Antoine Plante.

Houston Matters Weekend airs every Saturday at 1 p.m. on News 88.7. If you have questions or comments about something you hear, e-mail us at [email protected]. | News 88.7 Program Lineup