I was supposed to be back in Italy this summer, but as we are all aware travel has taken a backseat for the rest of the year thanks to the pandemic. One of my favorite parts of traveling is trying local cuisine. Food is everything, especially when you’re visiting Italy. 

With an intense craving for narrow stoned streets, incredible wine, and authentic Italian cuisine, I decided to learn how to make my one of my favorite dishes – Carbonara. 

I had always told myself I would take a cooking class while in Italy to learn cooking secrets from the best in the world. While I couldn’t do that this summer, I had the chance to learn right from my own kitchen thanks to LocalBites. 

This fantastic website offers live online cooking classes taught by global food bloggers and cooks sharing their specialties. It’s a personal experience cooking side by side through video chat connecting you with people from around the world. 

My teacher, Monica, taught the Original Italian Carbonara class I signed up. Having lived in Rome for 11 years, she is an expert when it comes to making the dish. She was absolutely wonderful and made the process easy to follow. Which was very much appreciated because every time I have tried to make Carbonara in the past, it has ended drastically and I end up ordering out. 

Before our class, Monica sent me a list of the ingredients I would need so I could come to class prepared to cook alongside her. They were simple and very easy to find in my supermarket. 

At the beginning of our class she introduced herself and shared a little background and history about the dish we were about to make. I truly appreciated this little touch because I love learning about the history and culture around food. 

As we cooked together she gave me step-by-step instructions and showed me exactly how to make the Carbonara. She even shared her very secret ingredient that nobody else uses. I must say, it was a game changer. 

Thanks to Monica’s help and reassurance that my egg-cheese cream was the perfect consistency (which is what I always struggled with) I had successfully made the perfect Carbonara dish. The timing of our class was perfect as I was able to enjoy my meal for lunch! 

With the help of LocalBites, people can still enjoy traditional foreign cuisine without ever leaving their kitchens. Matching people with cooks and food bloggers from all over the world, we can still travel and learn about different cultures right from our computer screens. 

Take your first of (hopefully) many online cooking classes and save 5% with my code BRITTANYBITES to learn how to make your first authentic foreign meal!