Good morning. I’ll get dragged all over the farm for saying so, but sometimes I like to cook with soda pop. I’ve braised ribs in Dr Pepper. I make a barbecue sauce with Coke. Lately, as I wrote for The New York Times Magazine this week, I’ve been making poundcake with lemon-lime 7Up.

Hey, stop yelling. I’m not a shill for Big Soda. You could make this cake with bubbly water and a little run of citrus juice from an actual fruit. You could make it with Sprite. I bet it’d be great with prosecco. The recipe (above) is pretty forgiving and results in a fantastic, high-lofted cake. So give it a try with something carbonated, slightly sweet or neutral, and then serve the finished cake with whipped cream and fresh berries. And remember: There’s absolutely no reason to tell anyone about your secret relationship with a pop star.

For dinner before the cake tonight, I’m thinking you keep it simple with this Susan Spungen recipe for boneless chicken in coconut milk, ginger and garlic, served with rice and a whole bunch of smashed cucumbers with sesame oil.

Monday night? Check out this incredible fried eggplant with red-pepper flakes, honey and ricotta from Melissa Clark, which I think I might serve with a heel of bread and some sparkling Gamay. Maybe there’ll be leftover cake for dessert!