Heidi Borelli, known on Instagram as @greengoddessculinaria, is a self-proclaimed culinary enchantress, a private chef and recipe developer. She was the chef-owner behind Allentown’s Greenhouse Enoteca restaurant and has since participated in pop-ups at Jay’s Local. Read on to learn more about her approach to food, wellness and life.
How would you describe your personal philosophy when it comes to overall wellness?
Answering this two years ago would have been an entirely different response. I’ve spent innumerable hours within deep guided meditation late into the night to work on centering my well-being into a holistic space and navigate further away from the preconceived thoughts that I unknowingly hauled around within me. How I should feel, look, connect, react, behave based upon what I was learning or studying or observing or reading. I think we all come to a moment where we are, either unknowingly or intentionally, an amalgam of our direct or indirect environment. Therefore, taking conscious moments to allow ourselves the luxury to explore who we are and, more importantly, who we want to be is my way of practicing wellness. Listening to the soft gentle voice that tells us that self-care is being productive.
Earth harmony is living cyclical, within our seasons. Balancing nature with the modernity of our lives.
Tell us about how you blend Earth harmony practices into passion-inspired food!
Earth harmony is a philosophy that has been cultivated by my mother and her ethos. It has carried me through my life. The congruence of physical human living and adapting into nature. Conscious consumption. The sacred act of communal dining at the end of the day. Earth harmony is living cyclical, within our seasons. Balancing nature with the modernity of our lives.
We love the sound of “passion-inspired food.” Tell us more about what that looks like to you!
Oh, this question makes me so happy! I’m of an age where I experienced the movement of a raw, natural, homegrown, organic lifestyle of the ’70s, the indulgent decadent foods of the ’80s, the restrictive and limiting diet culture along with the processed foods of the ’90s and then a slight blending of all of those decades into the 2000s. This allows me to have the breadth and freedom to understand not only my generation, but the generations before me, as I had the influence of great-grandparents and grandparents, as well as the future generations, as I’m still in the process of raising them. I can take that personal knowledge and generic generalized knowledge of summing up a decade and use all of it as a baseline—deciding, yes, I I want more of this or saying, no, I am not adding processed foods. All of it ignites me. The passion enters into food because I have an uninhibited and uncontainable desire to nourish, to heal, to nurture.
I love the ritual of preparing nourishment. Cooking is intimate and deeply personal for me.
What do you love most about cooking and developing recipes?
I love the freedom to feel unrushed and unencumbered when developing a recipe, and the excitement that abounds once I have an idea, a thought, an inspiration. I love tasting and manipulating and enhancing flavors that are unexpected. I love the ritual of preparing nourishment. Cooking is intimate and deeply personal for me.
What role do you believe food plays in one’s overall wellness?
Hippocrates believed, “Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” I think we should spend more energy looking back with reverence at the movements, teachings and philosophies of ancient times and understand how little has changed fundamentally.
How has your approach to cooking and eating evolved over the years?
It’s less restrictive. It’s more mindful. It’s very adventurous. I’ve got an unnaturally high curiosity level; therefore, I’m never bored or in a state of stagnancy.
What’s your favorite healthy meal to make at home?
I make lots of salads with fresh crisp vegetables, cheeses and homemade dressings. I love making soups. I will roast deeply seasoned vegetables and make a grain with it. Or stuffed peppers with legumes and Israeli couscous. I’m a vegetarian, so I make two separate meals, one for me and one for the rest of my family.
What’s something that you love to indulge in?
Pizza. Always. Forever. Every chance I can. I think about pizza as much as I think about my dog and children, which is multiple times an hour.
What would your advice be to someone struggling to master the art of cooking or to find the joy in food?
Do not place undue importance upon it. Monitor what you’re watching on social media. If watching chefs or influencers on social media brings you happiness, watch them, but please don’t feel like you are not leveling up in life if you cannot recreate what they are doing. No one ever needs to chop an onion that fast.
Ask yourself: What do you like? Is there a culture that fascinates you? Is there a cuisine that seems exotic to you, yet you want to learn more? Is there a singular ingredient that you love? Romanticize the time you’ll be spending learning. Go to an open-air market. Cooking is tactile, so use your senses when you’re learning. Take it incrementally and slowly, designate a time to work on your recipe. Or, take a class from me!
Romanticize the time you’ll be spending learning.
Where are some of your favorite (non-food-related) places to visit in the Valley?
I am incredibly grateful for the parks system in Allentown and the local college campuses. If I have a free 20 minutes, I’ll head out to the Allentown Rose Gardens or Trexler Memorial Park, or take a slow walk around Muhlenberg College’s campus. Those places are so lovely. I like going to Segan’s Bloomin’ Haus a few times a month.
Tell us about your personal practices and/or daily habits when it comes to mental health.
Timers. I have a timer for everything—to alert me of an appointment, a client meeting, to hydrate, to eat, to message a friend, even to stop and take a few grounding breaths. This practice allows me to compartmentalize not only my “must do” lists but to keep myself in a frame of focus.
What are a few healthy habits you try to practice throughout the day?
Hydration. Gentleness. Grace. Conscious breath. So many smiles. Courtesies. Deep resonating laughter. I try to nourish myself when I feel I need it. With the exception of vitamins, supplements and liquids, on weekdays I fast until 3 p.m. Then I eat a few Brazil nuts for selenium and drink a protein shake enriched with hemp, flax and chia.
How do you relieve stress?
Instead of ignoring the feeling or reacting to the moment or giving momentum to the stress, I actually say “stop” in my mind. I feel the emotion. I feel the fear or stress or uncertainty. I allow it wash through me. I may not always process it, but acknowledging it takes less energy than keeping it at bay. I love listening to music, coming home and making a meal, pouring a glass of chilled wine (if it’s a week that I’m consuming alcohol) and the contentment of being in my space. I check in with my mom or mother-in-law or aunt, some of my most favorite people. I know what I need to feel grounded. I will take a stroll late at night, I will sit on my porch with my husband, Michael, and watch the sky change as the sun sets. I enjoy a deep sofa lounge at the end of the day.
What goals do you have for your personal wellness?
I must prioritize sleep for sure. I’m severely lacking. I am aware that aspect of my life requires some refinement.
Do you have a personal mantra that you’d like to share?
I have three. The first is “This is a non-negotiable for me.” My list of non-negotiables is what I live by. It keeps me grounded with fortitude and self-armor. The second is “You no longer have access to me.” Whether I think it or verbalize it, this allows me to understand when I must prioritize myself. It’s the most effective and powerful way I have learned to cope with deeply challenging people. Lastly, my mantra for the year is always one word. I choose one word for my New Year’s resolution and live by allowing that word to guide me. I place deep importance upon the word. My year of “no” in 2002 was one of the best years of my life.
Published as “Living Well With” in the December 2023 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
