Loukoumades, Part II
Loukoumades machines are big, boxy and heavy, made out of aluminum and stand about for feet tall. There’s an open area like a pit that holds all the oil so it's watertight. There’s a special bucket that has a handle and arm that's welded to a pole that swings out from side to side. This bucket holds the batter and has a handle that when it’s rotated, it distributes just the right amount of dough into the heated oil. Our machine was temperamental, had battle scars and the arm didn’t always swing parallel to the surface of the oil. It was time to raise funds for another machine.
We had a luncheon where we raised enough funds to buy a used machine. Then someone in charge took the funds and bought a DEEP FRYER instead...you read that right. Then he had the arm and bucket cut off from the old machine and welded on to the deep fryer. How's that for old fashioned (backward thinking) Greek ingenuity? Do you think it worked it properly? Was it worth it in the long run?
They hooked it up to a propane tank and had a go at it. It may have worked for a little while but eventually its' fire went out. A few folks from the festival had opened the cabinet underneath the machine and were hitting the starter with a hammer to try to restart the fire, which I later learned was extremely dangerous.
If this process was done correctly, the church wouldn't be in this position. Imagine the potential profit and delicious loukoumades they missed because of their foolish intentions. Was there earlier this year for their annual church festival, and the machine was there in its usual spot looking tired and old, and ready to be retired. It was propped up on a wooden base, you couldn't help but feel sorry for it . You think the festival people would learn this time around but the never seem to, year after year.
UPDATE
I learned who ordered the switch. Very disappointing.