We the Pizza by Muhammad Abdul-Hadi – Hardback Cookbook

We the Pizza is the hardback cookbook from Down North Pizza in North Philadelphia, written by founder Muhammad Abdul-Hadi with chef Michael Carter and David Joachim, and it teaches 65 recipes for the shop's square, crispy-edged, sauce-on-top pies, plus wings, fries, lemonades and shakes. Down North hires formerly incarcerated people exclusively, and their stories run right through the book. It was named a Publishers Weekly Best Cookbook of the Year.

Square pies with a second-chance story

Muhammad Abdul-Hadi built Down North to serve seriously good pizza while cutting reoffending rates in his corner of Philly. The book does both jobs too: it's a straight-up great pizza book, and it gives the crew who make those pies room to tell their own stories, alongside clear history on incarceration in the United States.

What's inside

Recipes are grouped into vegetarian and vegan pies, meat and seafood pies, wings, sides and drinks, with Down North's tender, crispy-edged square crust as the foundation. There's even a shop playlist to cook to, and guest pies from chef supporters including Marc Vetri and Marcus Samuelsson.

Standouts include the Roc the Mic pepperoni pie, Tales of a Hustler with smoky berbere brisket, Say Yes with jerk turkey sausage, roasted butternut, kale, ricotta and a lemon-honey drizzle, and a four-cheese vegetarian pie with an arrabbiata-style sauce.

Who it's for

Anyone who loves a thick, crispy-edged square slice, whether you're baking in a home oven or firing up a pizza oven in the backyard. It's also a great read for people who like the story behind the food as much as the recipe.

About Muhammad Abdul-Hadi

Muhammad Abdul-Hadi is a Philadelphia-born entrepreneur and the founder of Down North Pizza and the Down North Foundation. He has won the James Beard Foundation's leadership award, and Down North has been featured by the New York Times, the Washington Post, Bon Appétit and the Today Show.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Darryl's orders: read the stories, then make the pies. This is square, crispy-edged Philly pizza with a big heart, and the Roc the Mic pepperoni pie is the one that'll have the whole crew fighting over the corner pieces. Buy it, because your Friday pizza night is about to get serious. Pair it with Perfect Pan Pizza for more deep-pan dough know-how and The Scarr's Pizza Cookbook for a New York slice on the other side of the ledger, then drizzle those corners with BBQ Mafia Smoky Hot Honey.

Questions answered

Who wrote We the Pizza?

We the Pizza was written by Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, founder of Down North Pizza in North Philadelphia, with chef Michael Carter and David Joachim.

How many recipes are in We the Pizza?

There are 65 recipes for square Philly-style pizzas, wings, fries, lemonades and shakes, including vegetarian and vegan pies.

Is We the Pizza good for beginners?

Yes. The recipes are written for home cooks, and the square pan-style crust is a forgiving place to start making pizza.

Is We the Pizza a hardback, and how many pages?

Yes. It's a 224-page hardback published by Clarkson Potter in 2025.

What style of pizza is in We the Pizza?

Down North's signature is a tender, crispy-edged, square-cut pie with the sauce on top, plus creative topping combinations like smoky berbere brisket and jerk turkey sausage.