Rewriting the Rules: The Rebellious Flavors of Blasphemy

Blasphemy is a daring exploration of culinary rebellion, where recipes challenge traditions, confront taboos, and inspire a fresh perspective on food. Merging food, culture, and commentary, it shatters conventions, questions societal boundaries, and explores how breaking the rules can create something both provocative and meaningful.

Created as a series of “acts of culinary sin,” the recipes in Blasphemy are designed to provoke and inspire. Dishes like Unholy Beef push cultural boundaries, featuring short ribs marinated in Chaat Masala—a daring twist that nods to Gujarat, where beef consumption is taboo for the Hindu majority. Similarly, the Shawarma Bagel brings together Palestinian shawarma chicken and a Jewish bagel, creating a striking symbol of cultural endurance and questioning why these two traditions can’t coexist harmoniously on a plate.

Yet Blasphemy isn’t just about food—it’s about challenging the norms that dictate how we live, eat, and think. Each recipe serves as a catalyst for larger conversations about identity, tradition, and the systems we often follow without question. It invites readers to rethink boundaries—religious, cultural, or political—and find inspiration in disruption.

The design of the book reinforces its rebellious spirit. Inspired by the Bible, often seen as the ultimate “rulebook”, Blasphemy subverts tradition with visual anarchy: chaotic layouts, deliberate misalignments, mirrored characters, and a devilishly bold red aesthetic. Layers of imperfection—typos, awkward phrasing, pixelated images, and photoshopped errors—add to its punk-inspired energy. Every element reflects a refusal to conform, turning the book into both a visual and culinary experience that rejects conventional standards.

Bound in a woven hardback cover reminiscent of sacred texts, Blasphemy arrives just in time for the holiday season. Amid a sea of traditional cookbooks released every year, its irreverent humor and radical defiance promise to stand out. With its unflinching exploration of culinary taboos, this is not just a cookbook—it’s a statement.

For those ready to challenge expectations and embrace a rebellious approach to food, Blasphemy delivers a feast for both the palate and the mind.

Blasphemy can be purchased at www.blasphemybook.com

CREDITS

Designed and written by: Olly Wood
Olly is a Creative Director at McCann London and a devoted foodie.

Printed and bound by: Yintuan Net Printing Co
Book photos by: Robbie Maynard