Dear Cooks,

In the world of here now, gone tomorrow, instant everything, it’s pretty gratifying to celebrate a 50th anniversary— specifically, a half-century of Clarkson Potter lifestyle books, of which our quality cookbooks are among some of the most notable. It’s no secret here, but you may not know that we were the first to publish Martha Stewart with Entertaining—a book that would lead to an illustrious line of Martha cookbooks that continues today. Since then, we’ve also brought on Rachael Ray, Giada de Laurentiis, and Ina Garten, as well as Francois Payard, Alice Waters, David Chang—and so many other culinary tastemakers and renowned chefs who’ve transformed both the way we eat and the way we cook. We’re so excited about this milestone that, throughout the year, we’ll be featuring many classic Potter cookbooks that have become household staples, and sharing from them some of our personal favorite recipes. Here are five cookbooks that—if you haven’t discovered yet—you should! We’re also offering a recipe from Giada’s New York Times bestseller Everyday Italian (one of our Essential Cookbooks and still one of her most popular), that we think every home cook should know how to make: Spicy Tomato Sauce (a.k.a. all’arrabbiata). Here’s to 50 years of good food—and hopefully another 50 more!

Spicy Tomato Sauce from Giada de Laurentiis's Everyday Italian

Makes about 1 quart;
Serves 4 over a pound of pasta as a main course

The sauce known as all’arrabbiata—or “in the angry style”—is made with hot red pepper flakes (and sometimes fresh chilies for an extra kick). I like to use the briny elements of olives and capers and skip the fresh chilies, adding depth to the spiciness rather than just more heat. Perfect with penne or rigatoni.

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons drained capers, rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• Generous pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 28-ounce can crushed Italian tomatoes

In a large skillet, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the olives, capers, 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt, and red pepper flakes, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer until reduced slightly, about 20 minutes. Season the sauce with more salt to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Happy Cooking!

Celebrate our 50^th birthday with us! Choose a meal (or two) from a few of our favorite books below. We think you'll find them as essential as we do!

The Art of Simple Food Alice Waters	The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook Ina Garten	Craft of Cooking Tom Colicchio

Martha Stewart's Cooking School	Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats	The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper