For the kids, the local favorite is grouper fingers. What is this grouper you're hearing so much about, and why does it have fingers? It's sort of our staple fish. And has no fingers. Big and meaty, one fish goes a long way and lends itself to a variety of preparations. The quintessential meal on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel is a fried grouper sandwich. Strips of fried grouper are also a favorite "finger" food. The recipe below does it one healthier than the traditional by oven-frying the fingers. For best results and a chance for them to play with their food, form a dipping assembly line with the kids.

Baked Grouper Fingers

Ingredients
1 pound grouper fillet cut into 1 to 1½-inch strips
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup corn flake crumbs
1/2 tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning (optional)
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup liquid egg substitute (or 1 egg), beaten lightly
spray oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pat grouper fingers dry with paper towel.
3. Combine bread and cornflake crumbs with lemon pepper, if desired, and spread on a plate.
4. Place flour on a separate plate and pour egg substitute in a shallow bowl.
5. Station one on the assembly line rolls the grouper fingers in flour and places them in the egg mixture.
6. Station two dips them in the egg mixture, gently shakes off the excess, and passes them on to the crumb plate.
7. Station three carefully rolls the fingers to cover in crumbs and arranges them on a cookie sheet sprayed liberally with oil.
8. Spray oil on top of the fingers and place them in the oven for about 4 minutes.
9. Turn when they begin to brown on the bottom and bake about another 3 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the fillets, or until flaky.
10. Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce or ketchup.

Ziploc® Grilled Fish

To keep your cookouts quick and clean up easy, marinate your fish in a zipper-lock plastic bag and toss it when you're done. Presto! Here's one of our favorite marinades:

Margarita Grouper

Ingredients
2 pounds grouper fillets
1 cup bottled margarita mix
juice of 1 Key lime (Persian, the grocery-store variety, limes will do)
1 tsp. green Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup tequila
1/2 tbsp. olive oil

Directions
1. Cut fillets to make four pieces.
2. Mix remaining ingredients in a large zipper-lock plastic bag.
3. Add grouper and refrigerate for at least one hour, turning bag occasionally to redistribute marinade.
4. Oil grill and heat to medium.
5. Carefully place fillets on grill. (Use a grill fish basket if you have one).
6. Baste the fillets with the marinade and close the grill.
7. Check the fillets after about four minutes to see if they're ready to be flipped; the meat should be opaque and flaky.
8. If they're ready, turn fish and baste the other side with the reserved marinade.
9. Cook until flesh turns opaque and flaky, but do not overcook.
10. Serve with wedges of lime and Mexican beer.

Makes 4 servings.