Tired of that drab old salad?  Give it a whole new lease on life with Nonna Pia's Balsamic Reductions.

Like every great balsamic, the story of Nonna Pia’s vinegar begins in Modena, Italy where it’s cultivated. But once it arrives to Whistler, B.C., it's aged for six years, and then slow-cooked for hours while infused with fruits like figs and strawberries, herbs and all things delectable through the process. And Nonna Pia herself? She is the family’s matriarch and culinary inspiration behind the recipes.

Oh, la dolce vita! —Anya Georgijevic

Order online here; for a list of retailers, click here.

You’ve learned to cook Italiano and studied the notes on French wine, but nothing beats regional authenticity.

The Cookbook Co. Cooks' European culinary escapes lets foodies and oenophiles experience the real meal deal.

The popular week-long trips are held in the spring and fall and include tours of historical sites, wineries, artisinal farms, and markets.

The food and wine cycling tour of Languedoc in the south of France and the food and wine tour (minus the cycling) are already booking for next spring (from $2,900). If Italy is more your flavour, an Italian escape is planned for the fall of 2010 in Cortona, where you’ll spend a week in a 17th century farmhouse villa experiencing la bella vita.

www.cookbookcooks.com