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I don't put ranch on anything! Gross tasting stuff.

I absolutely love ranch on my pizza. Granted, I am a middle-school student (though homeschooled), and got the idea from my (middle school, homeschooled) friends after we started dipping French-Fries in Ranch (that's justified in Mich--here most of the fries are way too greasy or way too dry). We decided to try it on our pizza--and it's great. Only Hidden Valley (tm) works though. Deep dish pizza doesn't need it, fortunately. A group fave for us is cayenne pepper, fresh black pepper, ranch, and tabasco sauce. I agree, if it's good pizza, it doesn't need condiments, but (1) pizza in metro-detroit isn't that good, and (2), it doesn't matter if it needs it--if ya want it, I say put it on unashamedly!

Oh my, WHEN are THEY going to come up with that magic pill? Can you imagine this creation with a side of fettucine Alfredo?

The Theta is indeed an Oklahoma original and probably attributable to the late great Split T (or the T Bar to afficianados), but it has certainly entered the Okie culinary vernacular and decent examples abound. I grew up in Tulsa and we used to get pretty good Thetas at Charlie Mitchell's (eponymous pub of the great Scottish footballer/hooligan) but my favorite was probably the one served at JP Sousa's. The buns were nice and toasty (essential from an engineering standpoint to keep your theta a hand sandwich) and they gave you extra hickory sauce for your curly fries. The fact that you ordered by phone from your table was a bonus.
It should be noted that an according to hoyle Theta is an all or nothing proposition. The pickles, mayo (not miracle whip), and shredded chedar (not sliced american) are what make it what it is and are as essential to the outcome as the hickory sauce. Just as a Martini with an onion is a Gibson so too is a Theta minus one of it's contituants an altogether different thing. It may sound like an odd combination, but people eat special mushrooms hunted by trained pigs so...try to be open minded.
As far as the name is concerned, I had always heard that it was after the sorority. Seems likely. Burgers are pub grub. Not hard to find a sorority girl in a bar (especially not in OKC area). If you run the phrase "I ate a theta" together, it sounds greek. Back when I was at OU, there was a bar called Denko's that used to advertise "Eat a Theta @ Denko's". They also had a chili 5way that they called the Darlin'. You used to see people sporting tshirts that said "I ate my Darlin' at Denko's". Good stuff.

If you've never tried a Theta Burger, next time you are in Tulsa go downtown and try one at Billy's On the Square. One of the best Theta's I've ever had. The combo of sweet bbq sauce with mayo, pickles, shredded cheddar and sesame bun is amazing. Put it over the top and add bacon. Billy's is also open in the new BOK Center Arena and was my dining experience for the Eagles and Dane Cook concerts.

@lo - Haha. Totally have that song in my head now. Poor persecuted witches.

I won't eat chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, most chocolate candy bars, chocolate chips in cookies/mint ice cream
I can eat milk chocolate Reese's are awesome but I have to eat drink milk to get rid of the aftertaste.
Olives (green and black)
licorice (Any flavor)
Steak, Turkey, Lamb Chops. Really any meat except seafood, chicken, ham and beef.
I actually hate pizza without ranch dressing.

I have noticed lately that Paula Deen has turned into a "dirty old lady" of sorts. Anyone see the video about Kathy Griffin and Michael McDonald (of Mad TV fame) visiting Paula at her home in Savannah? While whipping up a recipe in her kitchen she leans over and tells McDonald in her best southern granny seductive voice that unlike many lady cooks she always "swallows" her food! The Freudian meaning behind that one is way too obvious. NASTY! Paula has become waaaaay too commercialized now! And not in a good way!

I had my first taste of an Uno's pizza during the summer of 1966. I was visiting a cousin who was a Missouri native and on Saturday night, we waited in the line to get in. Well worth the wait. And that was in the original with all the names carved on the wooden walls and a pizza such as I had never had before. But that's not so hard to do as I am a native of the deep southern part of Illinois and to the best of my memory, the closest we came to pizza was a package product my mother sometimes would make. Later, 10 years later, I moved to Chicago and one of the first places I HAD to go was to Uno's. Winter time, so always happy when we got in the door to wait -- it's not called the "windy city" without justification! So, we give our order to the waitress and we wait, and we wait, finally, name called. Think we had beers and perhaps a salad, but the much awaited pizza arrives, pipping hot at the waitress warns us as she does the bit with the handy tool and looseens the pizza from the pan and put a slice on each of our plates. Oh, did that bring back memories of that first one. We always had to order the same ingredients -- sausage, onion, mushroom and green pepper! OH! the thought of that, my mouth is watering already! We (that is my ex-husband and I) would often meet there for pizza. Then friends introduced us to their favorite place which was further north and west of the Water Tower area. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name -- just that it was a thin crust. And later, someone suggested we try Lou Malnati's -- we only lived a short distance away, so that one became our real favorite. The house salad was great and did not fill us so much that we had no room for that pizza that was always the small -- perfect for 2 people! Then we moved closer to the loop and we tried a few more -- there was one place, name escapes me now, but it was to the east off of Michigan avenue, and it too, was always a wait. Then we got even smarter and started getting forzen cheese & sauage ones which we started keeping in the freezer for those times when we just had to have a slice. And I added the green pepper, onions & mushrooms to those.
One evening while sitting in the bar section at Uno's, we were crowded next to a travelling salesman and since the space is so small, we got to chatting about food. He always made time to go to Uno's when in Chicago, but then some how my home town was mentioned and he said not matter how close he was to the neighboring town, he made a point of going to a Barbeque place -- Ray's in Harrisburg. Well, there is a man after my own heart -- althought my family favored another place, I had often eaten in Rays (and still get his sauce and find his grandson and get sandwiches).
Then there were other places for pizza that suddenly started popping up in various areas close to the loop. One place had a spinach pizza, another was close to where the ex worked and we had some pizza there.
I moved to San Antonio in '86, so no more pizza -- might have checked to see if someone could get a frozen one and overnight it, but that never occured to me and the price would have been silly. Then a move to St. Louis, a trip to Chicago for several reasons, so more pizza from one or the other of my favs. But while in St. Louis, they suddenly opened a "store" not far from us there. Well, was I disappointed!!! I told husband we could split one --- oh, was I wrong, too small and not the same crust.
But because of that we looked at the menu again and ordered a different style which was much better.
Then some years later, we move to the Philly area and discover the first night we are there -- our anniversary, no less, that there was a new Uno's almost in walking distance. So for years we went there for pizza. Fortunately, at some point a second one was opened and we not longer
had to put up with the rude, tired parents and screaming babies who had stopped at the first place they came to after they left Seseame Place. Summers at Uno's at that location were awful. But we did try several other pizza places over the years and I must say, that I have two favorites and they are Uno's and Lou Malnati's.
I did find it interesting one summer when we met my niece and her family at the Field Museum to see King Tut, her husband, who grew up in a Chicago suburb and also went to conventions at the convention center! Had NEVER HAD an Uno's pizza!!! My niece was in 7th heaven because, despite her 20 year + delay of seeing the King Tut exhibit, she also got to have some Unos! And I have a friend in Chicago who used to send me gift certificates from Lou Malnati's and I would order a pizza and a dessert. We also lived in Pittsburgh and I went nuts when we saw a new Uno's --- the franchise stores are not exactly the same -- and one thing missing seems to be the corn meal in the pans!!!

But I say Uno, Due or Lou Malnati's. I never cared for what they ordered at my last job in Pittsburgh when we had overtime -- they were thin crust and just not a Chicago style pizza. Close, but really NOT CIGAR!!!
Mary

Bushman: This cake does not keep very well, as the meringue has a tendency to weep and shrink, especially in summer-time heat and humidity.

However, you should be able to bake the chocolate cake portion of the recipe, cool it and keep it wrapped tightly in the refrigerator for a few days. Then, the day you want to serve the finished cake, you could pull the base out of the fridge and let it come up to room temp before topping it with the meringue and baking it. I haven't tested this method, but I think it should work just fine.

As for decorations, the meringue is very delicate and cannot support much in the way of decorations. It's also very moist, so colorful decorations applied more than a half hour or so before the cake is to be served might bleed and become unsightly. A sprinkling of metallic dragee-type sprinkles might work, as they do not bleed, but I think they'd have a tendency to collect in the valleys of the meringue rather than sticking to the surface in an even distribution. Ultimately, because the cake is so beautiful on its own, I think the safest, most elegant option would be to just serve it as is, perhaps adorned with a few long, thin birthday candles.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

If I had any bacon left, I'd do this idea tomorrow for lunch/dinner. As it is, to really put the topper on it, I had a few ideas on how to make this really nice and unhealthy.... first, take a page from the burger with the cheese ooze core... stuff some cheese in the burger as well! maybe chop up some bacon to mix in with the meat too. Next, gotta add some mayo, then slap a fried egg in there as well. If you're still alive and not on your way to the hospital after the first bite, then I'd applaud you, but you may want to have someone ready just in case.... in case you take a second bite.

WHERE CAN I FIND THIS ?????????????????????

I CANNOT FIND IT ON THE INTERNET FOR SALE..........

DO YOU KNOW THE NAME OF THE BOTTLE?

PLEASE RESPOND!!!!!!!!!

ANYONE???!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!??????????????????????