Ok what flavor of pop do we use?

I usually say soda now that I moved to Florida from Kansas where they still say pop.

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Or how about what kind of coke?

Because everything is a coke down here, until you specify that the kind of coke you want is a Dr. Pepper or Sprite.

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Waht do you think is the purpose of the pop/soda? Is it just to add sugar (to balance the tartness of the tomatoes. Uh nt sure if everyone does this...)?

I know some '50s recipes use pop/soda but i figured that was just cuz it was newfangled.

the recipe sounds good in any case.

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I told my sis about this recipe and she told me to use a cola or dr. pepper type pop in this recipe



Hey Foodie Bride, I took a quick look at your blog, it's looks really good. I will be visiting it often.

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popcorn roasted in a pot with caramel, now that's what I am talkin' bout!

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The pop is because you're trying to simulate a sort of beef stock while using convenience foods. The tomatoes and spaghetti sauce mix alone would be too "pasta sauce," so you use the pop to give a more caramelized, roasted flavor. It may also help tenderize the meat and make it juicy, since the sugar should play some of the same role in slow-cooking that it does in brining.

This does sound way too sweet for me, though.

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Robyn, by the 1950s soda had already been around for over half a century. Nothing new-fangled about it. :)

And chances are they want either Dr Pepper or a cola. There are many options in this latter category. I like Coke (The Real Thing™) because of its spicy, lemony flavour. Yes, I'm a cola connoisseur, why do you ask? :)

There are some "dry" colas out there which wouldn't be nearly as sweet, if you're really worried about the sugar level. I won't be making this, but if I did, I'd use either Coke or RC.

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who in the Boston area says tonic?? It's all about the soda..

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What, you guys have never heard of Jane and Michael Stern and their fabulous book "Square Meals" ... ? They ahve a great section on 50s era recipes and cooking with soda pop. Dr. Pepper (or Vernor's Ginger Ale) Baked Beans, Fresca Cake, Coca Cola Baked Ham, and more. This is a great resource.

I've cooked with soda pop for years -- baked beans and hams benefit from the sugar and caramel, which is the role of pop.

Even now, there is a Diet Soda Pop Cake making the rounds. You simply take one boxed cake mix of any flavor, and one can of diet soda in any flavor, and mix. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until done to your liking, in a small sheet pan (say, 9x13). Frost or glaze as desired. It isn't a sugar free or fat free cake due to the mix itself, but it is much more "lite" without the added eggs, sugar, and oil. It isn't gourmet fare, but everyone gets a kick out of it and it's always eaten.

The personal faves in our office: Yellow cake with ginger ale, Devil's Food with Vanilla Cream Soda (or cherry), and Lemon with Punch Soda for a really quirky punchy cake, or Orange Cake, for a Citrus Surprise.

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I think the tonic thing is more to the West of Boston. I must admit that I call it tonic which is what my parents and grandparents called it and we are all from Worcester.

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