My name is Karina Flores Chienda and I am a 25 year living in Toronto with my Italian Chef & Boyfriend, Alessandro Bonfigli. We met in 2018 during my last trip to Italy where I was working at my godmother's Gelateria in Rome. Now we live together in Toronto's West end where he cooks elaborate meals on his days off and I experiment with healthy foods and recipes while visiting farmers' markets and farms during my free time.

I was born and raised in Lima, Perú for nine years of my life. Growing up in a South American country really shaped the person I am today. From a young age I was exposed to a world of ingredients, spices, and flavour. Eating real food was a big part of my life and I found myself having an appreciation for fresh and authentic real food experiences. Since I had a hard time finding this experience in Canada, I left for an exchange in my last year of university and lived in Italy for five months. It was there where The Sassy Tomato was born.

​Italy reawakened my Latin roots and opened my eyes and taste buds again to what it really meant to eat fresh and local food. There's nothing like a Caprese salad and a pizza in Italy. The freshness of the ingredients just gives their food a taste like no other. Thus, upon my return to Canada, I made it my mission to share my passion for better tasting food by exploring Ontario and making our communities aware of the natural resources and local products that we have. My goal is that together we will be educated on the local food movement and will make better and healthier choices as consumers. ​

In this blog you will find a little bit of everything but it will always connect back to food; from farmers' markets to local businesses to the innovation of food to wine pairings, travel, and health & nutrition. I hope you follow along my journey!

Instagram: @thesassyytomato

​"The Sassy Tomato" stands for my Latina sassy personality and the tomato represents the importance of fresh and real ingredients. Being creative is who I am and I look all around me to find my inspiration. I am building my brand to showcase my creativity and passion for something I strongly believe in! ​​