How to Make Escoveitch Fish and Bammie

Escoveitch Fish and Bammie is a regular part of every Jamaican's diet. I've been eating this for as long as I can remember, and the smell of a fish frying is enough to make me salivate. Here is how you can enjoy escoveitch fish and bammie too.

First, you need to buy a whole snapper fish from the Meat and Produce Store (also known as the West Indian store) on highway 441 and 26th Street in Fort Lauderdale. They are scaled before they go on sale, but you may find a few scales lurking on the fish. Do not be surprised, just get a knife and scrape them off. Also, bammies are scarce here in the US, so I usually get mine from Jamaica and freeze them. Let a bammie defrost for about an hour before you are ready to fry it.

Wash the fish in cold running water, rubbing it both inside and out, and then wrap it in paper towel to dry. After this, make a three-inch slit vertically on both sides of the fish. Then, take about a teaspoon each of salt and ground black pepper. Mix them together, and use a knife to insert a satisfactory amount of mixture in the slits.

Heat a frying pan on medium flame with a generous amount of cooking oil. This is the tricky part. Frying a fish means that you will get burned by the oil. There's no real way around that, unless you have a splatter guard. When the oil is hot, gently lay the fish in the pan and leave it to fry. While it is frying, chop an onion and a few scotch bonnet peppers and put them to soak in about half a cup of vinegar. Turn the fish after the first side is fried to satisfaction. Heat another frying pan on medium flame with a little oil (a smaller pan is suitable for this). When this pan is hot, pour in the vinegar mixture and let it heat to satisfaction, stirring it ocassionally.

When the fish has been fried, lay it in a shallow dish and pour the vinegar mixture over it. Let it soak.

When the bammie has thawed, cut it in four (this can be a bit difficult, but cut it nonetheless) and soak it in milk. Not too much to make it soggy, and not too little to keep it dry. Heat another frying pan on medium-low flame with a generous amount of oil, and when the oil is hot, place the bammies in the pan. No worries here, the bammies won't make the oil pop. Let it fry on one side for five to ten minutes, or until it has reached a desired color. I prefer mine golden brown. Turn and let the other side fry. When the bammie is done, place it on a plate with the fish and serve.

Caution: Bammies are extremely hot straight out of the pan, so you may want to wait a while before eating or be very careful. Also, whole fishes have a lot of bones, so inspect each forkful for bones, and if any happen to make their way to your mouth, carefully remove it. Do not, under any circumstance, try to chew it, much less swallow it.

Profile: Coach Scott McMillin

>>>>>Intense, loyal and caring. These are the words used to describe Coach Scott McMillin. McMillin has been the head men’s basketball coach at Lynn University for the past five seasons, and in that time he has brought success to Lynn time and time again.
>>>>>I met with Coach McMillin one morning in his office. It’s a relatively small office, but on one wall, there were at least a dozen plaques showcasing his accomplishments. That’s no surprise, considering he has been named coach of the year three times – once at Santa Fe Community College, and twice at Lynn University – among other achievements.
>>>>>We talked about his childhood and where he grew up: Wichita Kansas. I guess the look on my face gave me away, because he laughed and said that Wichita isn’t what most people think. “It’s a town of about 300,000 people; an urban city with Midwest values and a small town vibe.” That definitely clarified some things for me. He further explained that in Kansas, most children get attached to sports. “I always played sports. Basketball, baseball, soccer. But it was in junior high and high school that I really fell in love with basketball…When you’re a kid growing up in Kansas, basketball is in your blood.”
>>>>>Well, that certainly explained his enthusiasm when I asked about his job. He couldn’t help repeating how much he loved his job and I could tell by his approach to it. With an MBA, he could be working as a top business executive right now, but he turned down job offers in order to do what he loves. “I had the opportunity to work on Wall Street in New York,” he says, “but I turned it down to work at Central Florida Community College. I could have been earning a lot of money at 23, but I took a job that paid $7,000 [per year] instead.”
>>>>>Prior to his stint at Central Florida, he was assistant coach at the University of Buffalo, which is actually where the idea of coaching occurred to him. “I didn’t think about coaching as a career until I played at the collegiate level at the University of Buffalo.” After graduating from the university, he stayed on as assistant coach, and then he took the job at Central Florida, where he played the part of assistant coach once more. In the midst of all this, he met his wife, Crystal, through mutual friends in the summer of 2001. “I was home for the summer and our friends introduced us. She was a CPA working in Wichita at the time, but she was getting ready to move to Denver and I was one month away from moving to Gainesville, to work at Santa Fe Community College.” In spite of the distance, their relationship grew and she moved to Florida less than a year later. He was head coach at Santa Fe for two years, and then he accepted the position he now holds at Lynn.
>>>>>“I know in terms of age, I’m pretty young to be a head coach, but I have seven years of experience in this position, so with my age comes this qualification.” And rightly so. At Santa Fe he pushed the team academically, which resulted in a program high average GPA of 3.05 in the fall of 2002. At Lynn, he and his team have broken quite a few records, and they ended the 2006-07 season ranked 11th in NCAA Division II.
>>>>>When I asked him what he attributed to all his success, his response was simple. “Having the right people involved in the program, from players to assistant coaches, is what I would say is the reason for our success. We have a group of very hard working, driven people, who are self-motivated, and who will go above and beyond the call of duty. You need to have people who are going to work hard. There’s no secret to success.” Once we got into talking about his job, the enthusiasm showed even more. He’s not a man who is in this for the winning. The one thing that he stressed the most was that he is in this to influence the lives of his players more than winning. One of his former players, Sheldon Edwards, confirmed this. “He’s a very caring person. I’ve known him quite a while. He’s an intense person, he puts all he has into whatever he does. And obviously he really cares about his players since we still have a relationship. He’s thoughtful and caring and genuine.”
>>>>>McMillin remembers what his coaches were like in high school and college, and his aim was to help his players improve in every aspect. “I feel like they gave me something really important, and I feel like I owe it to my players to give them what my coaches gave me.”
His best moments, he says, actually happen off the court. Moments like conversations with players and keeping in touch with former players are important to him. With a sparkle in his eyes, he said: “I have the ability to see a young man’s life develop… The winning is great, but it’s the bigger picture. All the players come from different backgrounds: some come from good homes, some come from bad homes, some are well-off and some are not so well-off. Taking all those guys and bringing them together for one common goal is important to me.”
>>>>>The worst thing that has happened in his point of view is when he doesn’t get through to a person. There’s also the losses. Although his current team has netted more wins than losses each season since his arrival, he says, “As a coach, you tend to remember the losses more than the wins.”
>>>>>Maybe this is why his assistant coaches describe him as intense and loyal. Assistant coach Marcus Hayes said: “He’s a very driven individual. His coaching style is very hands-on, very detail-oriented. And he’s passionate and enthusiastic towards his teaching. That’s what I call it anyway.” His other coach, Tim Heskett, spoke more about the mood he brought to the program. “He is an extremely loyal individual. Everything he does in the program is to make the atmosphere more like a family.”
>>>>>With a personality like his, it is no wonder that he loves what he does so much. He says: “The pressure of winning and losing is tough. But every day is an opportunity to maximize their [the players] potential as individuals. That’s the goal, and the process is the end result.”

Product Review

Product: Samsung S850

Brand: Samsung

Price: $199.99

Available at: Target

8.1 mega pixels

5x optical zoom

2.5" TFT color LCD

ASR (Advanced Shake Reduction) system

High sensitivity ISO 1600 support

Interval Shooting function

Size: 4 x 3 x 1 inches; 6.4 oz.

The Samsung S850 is one of the most affordable digital cameras available today with the advanced features found in high end SLR digital cameras. On looking at the camera, the first thing you will notice is the lens protruding half an inch from the body of the camera. Though not as sleek and pretty as other cameras in this price range, it has more features than cameras in this price range.

The most surprising feature is the P, S, A and M modes found on the mode dial. These allow you to manually control the features of the pictures you want to take. Or you could take the easy route and just use the auto setting. Another interesting feature is the ASR, which quickens the shutter speed for better, less fuzzy motion shots.

The only drawbacks to this camera are the slow start up and shot-to-shot speeds, and the fact that the 38mm lens does not allow for good wide-angle shots, and therefore pictures of buildings and landscapes don't come out that great. When you first turn on the camera, it takes up to 2.1 seconds before you can take a picture, and if you adjust any of the settings in between shots, there's another 2.1 seconds before you can take another picture. Also, the camera does not have a viewfinder, so the 2.5-inch LCD display must be used to frame every picture.

In spite of all it lacks, this camera is a great deal for people who just want to take good pictures without having to pay too much.

Calendar Listings

ORCHESTRA MIAMI IN CONCERT WITH ANGEL ROMERO – This classical opera featuring Angel Romero will be held at 8 p.m. on Saturday June 31st at the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami Frost School of Music, 1314 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL. Tickets: $40. Telephone: (305) 274-2103.


“MOBILE HOME SWEET HOME” – This comedy theater production will be held at 8 p.m on June 30 at the Atlantic Theater, 6743 W Indiantown Rd, Jupiter, FL, 33458. Tickets: $12-$15. Telephone: (561) 575-4942.


SUNDAY AFTERNOONS OF MUSIC FOR CHILDREN – This dance recital hosted by the Miami City Ballet will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday July 1 at the University of Miami Gusman Concert Hall, 1314 Miller Rd, Coral Gables, FL. Tickets: $10-$12. Telephone: (305) 271-7150.

Jessica Alba Gives Birth to Baby Girl

According to the Associated Press, Jessica Alba and husband Cash Warren gave birth to baby girl Honor Marie Warren on Saturday June 7.

Alba and Warren got married on May 19th in a quiet civil ceremony at the Beverly Hills courthouse. The couple reportedly met on the set of "The Fantastic Four" in 2004, where Warren was a director's assistant. They have been dating on and off since then, and announced their engagement in December, shortly after confirming that they were expecting their first child.

Funeral of Yves Saint Laurent Held on Thursday

Yves Saint Laurent, revolutionary fashion designer, died on Sunday following a longtime illness. His funeral was held this afternoon at the Église St. Roche in Paris.

Attendees included French president Nicolas Sarkozy, his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, actress Catherine Deneuve, designers Hubert de Givenchy, Karl Lagerfeld, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix and Sonia Rykiel, as well as thousands of supporters who crowded around the church.

The ceremony was coordinated by his partner of many years Pierre Berge. Saint Laurent's body will be cremated and the ashes laid to rest at the Majorelle Gardens in Morocco. He was 71.

Photo by Eric Ryan/Getty Images

Skinny Still In

In August 2006, after the death of super-thin Uruguayan model Luisel Ramos (shown above), officials in Madrid and Milan announced that all models had to have a body mass index of no less than 18.

The reason? Ramos had apparently fasted on a diet of vegetables and diet soda a week before her last show, and collapsed and died of heart failure just moments after coming off the catwalk.

Models are getting thinner and thinner each day and for some reason, designers' requirements are getting harder and harder to meet. According to Christina Binkley, a writer for the Wall Street Journal who attended Paris' fall fashion week in February, no mention was made of the weight restrictions decided on just a year ago. In fact, the models look thinner than usual.

The reason for the recent disturbance in the fashion world is because at the fashion week in Paris, Ali Michaels, an 18-yr-old model from Texas, was told that her legs and ankles were too fat. This girl is 5'9" with a 23" waistline! She told her story to Teen Vogue, beginning with how she lost weight when she first started modelling, and that even though she did what the designers asked, she was never thin enough. So she started throwing up after meals and subsisting on a diet of oatmeal for breakfast, fruits for lunch, and lettuce for dinner. Then she added laxative to the mix. The result? A malnurished teenager who stopped getting her period, became dependent on the laxatives and whose hair started falling out.

After all the hype about "change" in 2006, many of us thought that there actually would be a change in the industry. What we didn't realize is that all that changed was the fact that the designers' extreme requirements were being swept under the rug, and models are still pressured to lose more and more weight.

Michaels says of her peers: "Sometimes it's obvious. You compare a picture of a model from two seasons ago to a photo of her now, and she looks completely different. Her skin is dull, her hair is thin. She's shrinking away. The sad thing is, some of those girls are the ones who are walking the most shows."

When will all the talk about change actually become a reality? When will designers start making clothing for real people instead of those made of skin and bones? Instead of giving in to the designers' requests as usual, this time, Michaels packed her bags and went home. That may not be enough to change the industry, but it is a start.

Ali Michaels at the start of her career:

Michaels after gaining 5 lbs. for fall fashion week: