We the pizza Slangin' pies + savin' lives

Muhammad Abdul-Hadi

Book - 2025

"Poignant stories and 65 insanely delicious recipes for award-winning pizza, wings, and more from Down North, the mission-driven Philadelphia pizzeria owned and operated exclusively by formerly incarcerated people. Philly born-and-bred entrepreneur Muhammad Abdul-Hadi found his true north when he opened Down North Pizza, an award-winning pizza joint that aims to reduce recidivism rates in North Philly. The restaurant was an instant hit, with people lining the blocks on its opening day in 2021 to get their hands on its fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside Detroit-style pies. We th Pizza tells the Down North story about how the restaurant fulfills its mission to educate, serve dope food, and offer second chances for the formerly i...ncarcerated. We the Pizza features more than 65 recipes for pizza, wings, fries, drinks, and shakes--plus lots of vegan options--from the hands and minds behind the mission. In addition to photos of the craveable food from the restaurant, the book also provides detailed historical information about incarceration in the United States, with profiles of seven employees who share their story and their second-chance experience. It even features exclusive collaborative recipes from high-profile chefs like Marc Vetri and Marcus Samuelsson. We the Pizza is a testament to the power of all people to rise above their circumstances. Ultimately, it reveals the power of pizza itself"--

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2nd Floor New Shelf 641.824/Abdul-Hadi (NEW SHELF) Due Apr 10, 2025
Subjects
Genres
recipes
cookbooks
Cookbooks
Recipes
Livres de cuisine
Recettes
Published
New York : Clarkson Potter/Publishers [2025]
Language
English
Main Author
Muhammad Abdul-Hadi (author)
Other Authors
Michael Carter, 1985- (author), David Joachim (photographer), Amurri Lauren (writer of foreword), Danny Trejo, 1944-
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
221 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9780593796405
  • Foreword
  • Preface: Pizza de Resistance
  • Introduction: Grand Opening Chaos
  • Playlist
  • The Down North Commissary
  • Ingredients
  • Equipment
  • Doughs, Sauces + Such
  • Down North Pizza Crust
  • Coco Bread Crust
  • Norf Sauce
  • Not Vodka Sauce
  • Norffalo Sauce
  • Vegan Norffalo Sauce
  • House BBQ Sauce
  • Flip Side BBQ Sauce
  • Quick Thai Red Curry Sauce
  • Honey Chipotle Sauce
  • Roasted Garlic-Honey Chipotle Sauce
  • Basil Pesto
  • Basil-Pesto Cream Sauce
  • Spicy Cheese Sauce
  • Garlic-Parm Sauce
  • Wiz Sauce
  • Harissa Cheese Sauce
  • Beer Cheese Sauce
  • Vegan Wiz Sauce
  • Vegan Caesar Dressing
  • Vegan Thousand island Dressing
  • Pikliz
  • Sauteed Mushrooms
  • Old Bay Mushrooms
  • Roasted Chicken Thighs
  • Spicy Pickle-Brined Roasted Chicken Thighs
  • Vegetable + Vegan Pizza
  • No Betta Love: Four cheese + Norf Sauce
  • Vegan No Betta Love
  • Uptown Vibes: Kale + mushrooms + red bell peppers + Norf Sauce
  • Vegan Uptown Vibes
  • P.S.K.: Mushrooms + red bell peppers + red onion + aji amarillo drizzle
  • Vegetarian P.S.K.
  • Summertime: Basil pesto + grape tomatoes + roasted red peppers
  • Vegan Summertime
  • Twofifteen: Broccoli rabe + Italian long hots + pickle-brined mushrooms + long-hot gravy
  • Vegan Twofifteen
  • Sara Smile: Smoked, charred, and marinated beets + onions + Vegan Thousand Island Dressing
  • Honcho's Birthday Pie: Mushrooms + grape tomatoes + aruguia + Vegan Caesar Dressing
  • Streets Of Philadelphia: Potatoes + bacon + leeks + chives + lemony sour cream-Seek puree + Ogleshield cheese
  • Vegan Streets of Philadelphia
  • Meat + Seafood Pizza
  • Roc The Mic: Beef pepperoni + Norf Sauce
  • Vegan Roc the Mic
  • What We Do: Beef pepperoni + beef sausage + kale + banana peppers + Honey Chipotle Drizzle
  • Vegan What We Do
  • Yeah That's Us: Norffalo chicken + blue cheese sauce + blue cheese crumble
  • Vegetarian Yeah That's Us
  • Big Head: BBQ chicken + pepperoncini + red onion
  • Break You Off: Lamb sausage + lemon ricotta + za'atar +garlic honey drizzle
  • I'm a Boss: Turkey pepperoni + turkey sausage + mushrooms + red bell peppers + Norf Sauce
  • Vegan I'm a Boss
  • Flip Side: Beef bacon + caramelized pineapple + jaiapenos + Flip Side BBQ Sauce
  • Vegan Flip Side
  • Say Yes: Jerk turkey sausage + roasted butternut squash + kale + ricotta + lemon-honey drizzle
  • My Part Of Town: Shaved beef + caramelized onion + Wiz Sauce
  • Lehigh Valley Cheesesteak Pizza
  • Tales Of A Hustler: Berbere-spiced smoked brisket + Pikliz + Harissa Cheese Sauce
  • Cross The Border: Taco-seasoned beef + onions + poblano chiles + tomatoes +Jettuce
  • A Long Walk: Roasted chicken + roasted red peppers + Basil-Pesto Cream Sauce
  • Sauce It Up: Pickle-brined chicken + spicy pickles + Quick Thai Red Curry Sauce + cilantro
  • Chopped Pizza: Spicy coconut-braised chicken + red onion + lime + cilantro
  • Glamorous Life: Crab meat + butterflied shrimp + kale chips + Garlic-Parm Sauce + Not Vodka Sauce
  • What Ya Life Like: Ramen-Cheez-lt crust + kippered beef steak + summer sausage + Cheez Wiz + BBQ salsa
  • Pizza Collabs
  • Beef Shank Ragù, Smoked Scamorza, and Horseradish Pizza
  • Harissa Chicken Schnitzel Pizza
  • Vegan Buffalo Mushroom Pizza
  • Cheesy Vegan Buffalo Mushroom Pizza
  • Doro Wat Pizza
  • Pali Cali Pizza
  • Raw and Uncut
  • Wings + Fries
  • Norffalo Wings
  • BBQ Wings
  • Honey Chipotle Wings
  • Garlic Parmesan Wings
  • Thai Chili Wings
  • Vegan Norffalo Cauliflower Wings
  • Vegan Thai Chili Cauliflower Wings
  • Vegan Za'atar Cauliflower Wings
  • Norf Fries
  • Spicy Cheese Fries
  • Spicy Crab Fries
  • Vegan Wiz Fries
  • Vegan Everything Fries
  • Vegan Spicy Crab Fries
  • Lemonades + Milkshakes
  • Classic Lemonade
  • Strawberry Lemonade
  • Blueberry Lemonade
  • Cucumber-Mint Lemonade
  • Watermelon Lemonade
  • Vanilla Milkshake
  • Vegan Vanilla Milkshake
  • Strawberry Milkshake
  • Oreo Milkshake
  • Apple Pie Milkshake
  • Bean Pie Milkshake
  • How You Can Help
  • Friends of Down North
  • U.S. Incarceration System Timeline Notes
  • Acknowledgments
  • Index
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

"This book is a testament to the creative output Black people give birth to, time and again, in the midst of oppressive machinations," Ajima Olaghere writes in the preface to this powerful debut from restaurateur Abdul-Hadi, who was on house arrest and wearing an ankle monitor when he launched Philadelphia's Down North Pizza, which exclusively employs formerly incarcerated people. Executive chef Michael Carter, who served seven and a half years for aggravated assault, contributes the recipes, including one for "jailhouse pizza" made with a crust of crushed ramen noodles and Cheez-Its. ("Prison forces you to get creative like that.") Local influence is strong: pies are named after songs by Philly musicians and are halal because of the large Muslim community in the area. These square pizzas are made with a flexible, no-knead dough, most featuring mozzarella, provolone, and cheddar and smoky tomato sauce. Toppings are unapologetically American and fiercely flavored, including a vegan buffalo mushroom pie and an option with ground lamb, jerk seasoning, and honey. A chapter on wings and fries and another on lemonades and milkshakes round out the recipes, which are studded with statistics about incarceration, personal stories from Down North's workers, and suggestions for getting involved. The result is both a bold culinary adventure and a stirring tribute to the strength of community. (Feb.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Down North, the immensely popular Philadelphia pizza shop led by founder and entrepreneur Adbul-Hadi, is known for two things: original and delicious pies and their critical mission to hire formerly incarcerated people, giving them a path to change their lives and prevent recidivism. This compelling book shares important stories while showcasing the recipes for pizzas created by chef Michael Carter, each named after the title of a song by a famous Philly-based musician (Roc the Mic; Streets of Philadelphia). Many are vegetarian or vegan, while all the meat versions are halal, with options to make each vegetarian by preference. The accompanying photographs are mouth-watering and encourage home cooks to begin making their Norf sauces, doughs, and flavor combinations. Interspersed throughout are featured essays telling the often-painful path employees have traveled through the penal system and their eventual release with positive and successful outcomes. Footnotes across many of the pages tell the timeline of the history of incarceration in the United States, primarily focused on the laws targeting nonwhite people. This cookbook is the perfect combination of delicious culinary creation and important messaging. VERDICT A place should be made on all shelves for this deft book about food creativity and social justice.--Ron Block

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