4 bakal recipes

Fattigmann (Norwegian poor man's cookies): crisp, cardamom-scented diamond pastries fried until pale gold and dusted with powdered sugar. A holiday tradition from Scandinavian baking.

Yemenite stuffed cantaloupe with sautéed chicken, rice, scallions, and lemon juice baked until tender for a showstopping sweet-savory meal.

Chicken finger packets wrap soy-Dijon broiled chicken, tzatziki, lettuce, and sweet peppers in flour tortillas. Portable lunch-box rolls that hold up in a bag all morning.

USDA-style beef loaf for a crowd: makes four 8-inch loaves with milk-soaked bread, eggs, ketchup and Worcestershire. Bake all four, freeze three. Government-tested batch cooking at its most practical.