Was I just being a "karen"?

[kenny]

As a rare treat SO is ordering food to go from a Middle-Eastern restaurant that we love.
One of the side orders on their printed menus is stuffed grape leaves.
But now they are not on their online menu.

I asked him to call them on the phone to see the omission was a mistake.
His response was to sigh.

Was I being a "karen" white-privileged, expect-everything A-hole?

 

[MissGotRocks]

No I don’t think so - it never hurts to ask. We have found though that during this time some restaurants didn’t offer all of their dishes. Personally though if it was something that I loved and wanted, I wouldn’t have hesitated to ask. I don’t think that makes one entitled - just want to double check. Maybe he didn’t feel comfortable asking though - would he have minded if you had been the one to call and ask?

 

[seaurchin]

I don't think there's a thing wrong with asking. Most of the restaurants where I live are not doing well and would probably appreciate the chance to keep a customer coming back to them rather than going elsewhere. And, of course, they are always free to say no.

Also, I just love the new term, "Karen." If my real name was "Karen," it would crack me up. Oh well, it's not as bad as what happened to "Dicks" a few decades ago!

Maybe your SO was just having an overload moment for some reason. There's certainly plenty of reason for them this year.

 

[pearlsngems]

It sounds like a perfectly normal question to me. If you don't ask, you don't know.

After sighing, what was his reply?

 

[Elizabeth35]

Asking politely is not being a Karen. Because many times the online menu is not complete or they may be very happy to make something not on the online menu.
Demanding that they make if for you, even though it is not on the menu, is being a Karen.

 

[kenny]

It sounds like a perfectly normal question to me. If you don't ask, you don't know.

After sighing, what was his reply?

He called in the order on the phone, asking for grape leaves - as if he only saw our old menu on paper.
They had em.

 

[1ofakind]

Was the sigh because you asked him to call if you could have called With the question yourself? That’s not a Karen, it’s something else.

 

[kenny]

Was the sigh because you asked him to call if you could have called With the question yourself? That’s not a Karen, it’s something else.

No.

I think he was 'karening' me.

 

[Karl_K]

well if you were an awesome sweet person then maybe you were a Karen.

 

[stracci2000]

Kenny, you should try making them at home sometime!
I have a grapevine in my yard and I pick the leaves in June when they are young and tender. Then I blanch and freeze them in packages of 40.
When I have a taste for them, I thaw out a package and whip up some filling. Rice, ground beef, garlic, mint, salt and pepper. Lemon juice and olive oil, too.
Much better than the restaurant!

 

[kenny]

Kenny, you should try making them at home sometime!
I have a grapevine in my yard and I pick the leaves in June when they are young and tender. Then I blanch and freeze them in packages of 40.
When I have a taste for them, I thaw out a package and whip up some filling.
Much better than the restaurant!

Yummm. Thanks.
I should look into this.

 

[Queenie60]

Kenny, you should try making them at home sometime!
I have a grapevine in my yard and I pick the leaves in June when they are young and tender. Then I blanch and freeze them in packages of 40.
When I have a taste for them, I thaw out a package and whip up some filling. Rice, ground beef, garlic, mint, salt and pepper. Lemon juice and olive oil, too.
Much better than the restaurant!

I do the same!!! We should share our recipes.

 

[kenny]

I do the same!!! We should share our recipes.

 

[stracci2000]

I do the same!!! We should share our recipes.

Happy to share! This is the way my Syrian grandmother always made them.
The filling:
3/4 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 c. white rice
2-3 pressed garlic cloves
1 TB dried mint, or a small bunch of fresh, chopped fine
Salt and pepper to taste.

This will fill about 40 medium grape leaves, about 5" in diameter.
Roll and layer in a medium size pot, alternating the direction for each layer. You should have about 3 layers. Slice several more cloves of garlic and scatter over the rolls.
Cover with water. Add about 1/4 c. lemon juice. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top, maybe 1/4 c.
Invert a ceramic dish over the rolls to keep them from unrolling as they cook. Cook over low heat about 45 minutes, till the rice is cooked. I usually pour more olive oil over the rolls at this point, just for good measure.
Serve with pita, hummus (I make my own), and yogurt. Delish!

 

[Queenie60]

Happy to share! This is the way my Syrian grandmother always made them.
The filling:
3/4 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 c. white rice
2-3 pressed garlic cloves
1 TB dried mint, or a small bunch of fresh, chopped fine
Salt and pepper to taste.

This will fill about 40 medium grape leaves, about 5" in diameter.
Roll and layer in a medium size pot, alternating the direction for each layer. You should have about 3 layers. Slice several more cloves of garlic and scatter over the rolls.
Cover with water. Add about 1/4 c. lemon juice. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top, maybe 1/4 c.
Invert a ceramic dish over the rolls to keep them from unrolling as they cook. Cook over low heat about 45 minutes, till the rice is cooked. I usually pour more olive oil over the rolls at this point, just for good measure.
Serve with pita, hummus (I make my own), and yogurt. Delish!

Okay, In Armenian we call these "Sarma" which is meat filled. My rice recipe to follow

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Kenny, you should try making them at home sometime!
I have a grapevine in my yard and I pick the leaves in June when they are young and tender. Then I blanch and freeze them in packages of 40.
When I have a taste for them, I thaw out a package and whip up some filling. Rice, ground beef, garlic, mint, salt and pepper. Lemon juice and olive oil, too.
Much better than the restaurant!

I was all set to do this back in Match ?...when the lockdown hit us and i had no pine nuts
i had selected the most beautuful leaves
i had no idea you could freeze them

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

As a rare treat SO is ordering food to go from a Middle-Eastern restaurant that we love.
One of the side orders on their printed menus is stuffed grape leaves.
But now they are not on their online menu.

I asked him to call them on the phone to see the omission was a mistake.
His response was to sigh.

Was I being a "karen" white-privileged, expect-everything A-hole?

No
not a Karen
Actually on two different tv channels last night on the junky current affairs shows after the news we were explained what a Karen actually was

 

[Queenie60]

My recipe: We call these "Yalanchi" - 10 large onion, chopped; 1 bunch curly parsley, chopped; Warm 1-3/4 cups olive oil and pour over chopped onion - in a large skillet, cook onion until transparent, stirring constantly. Add 2 cups pearl rice; 2T salt; 1 tsp ground pepper; 1 T of dry dill; add 1- 8 oz tomato sauce; 1 tsp allspice; 1/8 tsp cayenne; 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, all chopped parsley. Mix well and wrap in grape leaves. When ready to cook, line large pan with grape leaves, stack stuffed leaves (only three layers), cover with water, to the bottom of top layer of yalanchi. Cover with grape leaves, bring to boil on stove, once boiling, cover pan with lid and bake on 350 oven for 1-1/2 hours. Set out overnight to cool and refrigerate. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over cooked yalanchi. Enjoy. It's easier than written!

 

[Queenie60]

And... you can freeze the uncooked ones in the freezer. Before cooking, thaw and cook as directed above.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Im excitted to see the recepies thank you
The recepie i had was lamb mince and i was waiting for it to come on special ...and then lockdown ...then i ate the pine nuts

 

[missy]

Nope. Asking nicely for something they make and sell is only a win win for all. There’s zero issue imo with your request. Not sure why your SO sighed but perhaps he’s being the “Karen”.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

You would have been a "Karen" for demanding to speak to the manager and threatening to sue them for inaccurately representing their menu online.

 

[Mekp]

Agree with the others, politely asking a question is not being a Karen.
Demanding that they make a dish that is not available and threatening to write bad reviews if they don't provide the dish is being a Karen.

 

[Slickk]

@kenny (maybe we should use the name Ken for the men ?) I wonder if your SO’s reaction was related specifically to making an actual phone call! My Millennial kids absolutely refuse to phone orders in. They only use Apps on their phones. G_d forbid they speak to a human once in a while.
To answer your question, no, you were not a Karen/Ken at all. I think given the current economic climate, they are happy to have as much business as they can. Sounds delicious. Off to print these recipes.

 

[rockhoundofficiando]

As a rare treat SO is ordering food to go from a Middle-Eastern restaurant that we love.
One of the side orders on their printed menus is stuffed grape leaves.
But now they are not on their online menu.

I asked him to call them on the phone to see the omission was a mistake.
His response was to sigh.

Was I being a "karen" white-privileged, expect-everything A-hole?

No and I don't think you were being a "Karen", nor a "Tyrone", "Ahmad", or a "Julia", or even a "Chang". There was nothing wrong with asking....

 

[Sunstorm]

Guys is it too late to pick the leaves now? Also anyone care to share a vegetarian recipe? Although I think I can just go ahead and make them. I love these!!!

BTW, it is totally ok to ask! Why not? I would.

Ok I think one recipe above is no meat, I shall try.

 

[stracci2000]

...then i ate the pine nuts

Of course! Who can resist?
Funny thing about pine nuts....
My family always used them in cooking Mediterranean foods. We never bought them for snacking. They are just too expensive for that!
Then I moved out here to the Southwest US, where they are called piñon.
They are collected by local people from certain pine trees, roasted in the shell and eaten for a snack.

 

[stracci2000]

Guys is it too late to pick the leaves now? Also anyone care to share a vegetarian recipe? Although I think I can just go ahead and make them. I love these!!!

BTW, it is totally ok to ask! Why not? I would.

Ok I think one recipe above is no meat, I shall try.

It is too late. By now all the leaves are probably large and tough.
However, you can buy grape leaves in a jar, packed in brine from any Middle Eastern market, and some big grocery stores may even have them. They are not nearly as good as fresh, but they will do in a pinch.
They would be in the specialty vegetable section with the jarred artichokes and capers, etc.

 

[stracci2000]

My recipe: We call these "Yalanchi" - 10 large onion, chopped; 1 bunch curly parsley, chopped; Warm 1-3/4 cups olive oil and pour over chopped onion - in a large skillet, cook onion until transparent, stirring constantly. Add 2 cups pearl rice; 2T salt; 1 tsp ground pepper; 1 T of dry dill; add 1- 8 oz tomato sauce; 1 tsp allspice; 1/8 tsp cayenne; 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, all chopped parsley. Mix well and wrap in grape leaves. When ready to cook, line large pan with grape leaves, stack stuffed leaves (only three layers), cover with water, to the bottom of top layer of yalanchi. Cover with grape leaves, bring to boil on stove, once boiling, cover pan with lid and bake on 350 oven for 1-1/2 hours. Set out overnight to cool and refrigerate. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over cooked yalanchi. Enjoy. It's easier than written!

Thank you! I will try this! I have all the ingredients.
I will cut this recipe down though cause there's only two of us.
I used to live across the street from an Armenian lady who used to send these same rice filled grape leaves over to me. We used to compare recipes!

 

[chemgirl]

As a rare treat SO is ordering food to go from a Middle-Eastern restaurant that we love.
One of the side orders on their printed menus is stuffed grape leaves.
But now they are not on their online menu.

I asked him to call them on the phone to see the omission was a mistake.
His response was to sigh.

Was I being a "karen" white-privileged, expect-everything A-hole?

No, just calling and asking in a polite manner is fine. Maybe it was an accidental omission, or maybe they were removed because of some supply chain issue. Who knows. Asking is fine

A local restaurant somehow left fries off of their online menu and it was an oversight.

If you responded by demanding that they make the dish then asking for the manager sure, Karen. If you just ask and accept the response, not a Karen.