1. Set the oven at 425 degrees. Have on hand a rimmed baking sheet. 2. In a bowl, combine the beef or other ground meat, parsley, cilantro, paprika, tomato paste, cumin, lemon rind, salt, and pepper.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a medium pot on low heat, then add the paprika. Dice the onion and add to the pot. Cook for 1 minute. Add the beans in one area of the pot and the potatoes in another.

Pistachio Café, at 1245 Chapel St., offers a wide range of Syrian and other Middle Eastern dishes in a nearly 4,000-square-foot space on the first level of The Novella apartment complex.

The 29th annual Middle Eastern Food Festival will take place Sept. 3 and 4, on the grounds of Holy Transfiguration Melkite Greek-Catholic Church in McLean.

There's a tasty way to help local kids get the food they need coming up at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, the Middle East Lunch and Dinner on September 24.