The book mermaids-in-training have been waiting for. From history and folklore to recipes and tips for ocean preservation, as well as profiles and original illustrations of mer-maidens from around the world, The Mermaids Handbook features everything you need to know to follow the mermaid way of life.

Over 40 healthy and accessible recipes, developed by author Taylor Widrig of Mermaid Fare, a Nova Scotia?based company specializing in wild and cultivated sea vegetables, include scrumptious starters like Mermaid Kaiso Seaweed Salad, new classics like Dulse, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich and Creamy Wakame Casserole, as well as healthy snacks like Smoothie Bowls and Energy Bites, and even homemade beauty products, such as the Coconut Sea Hair Mask—for that salty sea-hair.

Includes an introduction by Dr. Alan Critchley with everything you’ve ever wanted to know about seaweeds and original 2-colour illustrations by artist Briana Corr Scott (The Book of Selkie).

Dr. Alan Critchley
Research Fellow, Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and Environment, Cape Breton, NS, Canada. Began his career in Portsmouth UK, graduated and moved into studies on the invasive seaweed Sargassum muticum. After a post-doc in the Netherlands he made his way to an academic post at Univ. KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg studying sub-tropical seaweeds off the east coast. Another move was made to the Univ Witwatersrand where his first interests in commercial seaweeds were ignited with Taurus Chemicals. After some time he moved to Namibia and the Univ. Windhoek to work in an academic and consultancy roles at the Multidisciplinary Research and Consultancy Centre. This then lead to a giant leap into the commercial world of (tropical) carrageenophytes and (temperate) alginophytes at Degussa Texturant Systems, Normandie, France. More recently he found his way to the Verschuren Centre via a small medium enterprise in Nova Scotia where he led the research group for onland cultivation of seaweed for food and wild exploitation of an intertidal fucoid for animal feed and plant products. His current passion is phyconomy and particularly tropical seaweed phyconomy.


Taylor Widrig
Taylor Widrig is the creator of Mermaid Fare, a Nova Scotia–based company specializing in wild and cultivated sea vegetable production. She has a background in culinary arts, recipe development, and health and wellness, and has worked in galleys around the world as a private yacht chef. She is an advocate for increased awareness of sea vegetables as a secure, sustainable food source and environmental preservation. The Mermaid Handbook is her first book.

Briana Corr Scott
Briana Corr Scott as born in Salem, MA, and grew up in New Hampshire. Her love of painting began early in life, and continued during her studies at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. She moved to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, in 2006, where she lives with her husband and three young children. She now works from a home studio, and her paintings and poems are inspired by the natural world, particularly the Nova Scotia coast. She Dreams of Sable Island is her first book.

AUTHOR’S NOTE
MERMAID FOLKLORE
Iara, the Brazilian Mermaid
Mami Wata, the African Mermaid
Mélusine, the Medieval Mermaid of Albania, France,
Germany, and Luxembourg
Minnow, the Mi’kmaw Mermaid
Ningyo, the Japanese Mermaid
Sedna, the Arctic Mermaid
Selkies, the Irish/Scottish Mermaids
Tabib al-Bahr, Middle Eastern Sea Creature
THE MERMAID WAY
Cultivating Joy
Demonstrating Kindness
Enjoying Your Ocean Home: Sailing Ships & Beach Trips
Beach Etiquette
Protecting Your Ocean Home
Eating Healthy
INTRODUCTION TO THE SEAWEED KINGDOM
HISTORICAL USES OF SEAWEED IN THE MARITIMES
Seaweed and Your Garden
COMMON SEA VEGETABLES & HOW TO USE THEM
MERMAID RECIPES
Snacks and Appetizers
Energy Balls
Sushi 101
Salads
Soups
Mains
Sides
Desserts
Mermaid Hair and Body
For Our Furry Friends