Instagram story viewer> @jeremyrocksmith> Posts

Jeremy Rock Smith

@jeremyrocksmith

3.3K

followers

1642

following

Chef, Author & Educator | Culinary Retreats
🌎 Food, place, people & tradition
Retreats around the world + online cooking
👇2027 Registration Open🇬🇷🇮🇹🇲🇽

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

A lot of wind, some clouds, a little drop in temps, and some passing rain here in Greece yesterday. Not exactly the postcard Instagram weather. 😂

I think when we travel, we sometimes forget that the places we’re visiting don’t exist just for our vacation experience.

Social media would have us believe Greece is all turquoise water, people wandering around in linen, sipping freddo espressos, and endless sunshine.

And while that’s certainly part of it, it’s not the whole story.

After a long, hot, dry summer, the locals are actually welcoming the rain. And those cloudy days? They’re a pretty good excuse to slow down and experience a place a little differently.

Personally, I like the real Greece. The sunshine, the clouds, the wind, the rain. All of it.

I think sometimes we build up these expectations of a place based on the images we’ve seen, and forget that the whole point of traveling is to experience a place as it actually is. by @jeremyrocksmith

66

7

a day ago

A day on Poros. 🇬🇷

Start with a little history, take in the incredible views, get in a little movement, followed by a good, simple Greek meal with some ouzo. Some time to wander, a little siesta, and then a cooking class.

This is the kind of rhythm I dig. by @jeremyrocksmith

42

1

2 days ago

I just realized there seem to be two types of device dependence.

The first is obvious. Social media. Needing to know what everyone else is doing.

The second? Needing to know EVERYTHING.

I’ve noticed this a lot while traveling. Someone will ask me what some random plant is, and I’m like, “Dude, I have no idea.” 😂

And I’m perfectly fine with that.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m curious too. I love learning stuff. But I wonder when curiosity turns into just another way of giving our brains a little hit of satisfaction.

Here’s the catch. Mindlessly scrolling through social media is generally frowned upon. But looking up information? That’s totally acceptable. We’re learning, sharing facts, being helpful!

Either way, we’re still reaching for our phones every five minutes.

So I’ve been challenging myself to get a little more comfortable with not knowing.

Maybe I’ll look it up later. Maybe I’ll ask a local. Maybe I’ll never find out.

I’m certainly not giving up my phone, but I do wonder how much we miss when we’re so busy trying to figure everything out.

Maybe one of the best things about traveling is realizing you don’t need to know everything about a place to enjoy being there by @jeremyrocksmith

84

21

4 days ago

Kea, Greece. Nothing short of breathtaking. Magical, really. 🇬🇷

We started in Korissia, made our way up to the beautiful hillside village of Ioulida, and eventually found ourselves at Oakmeal Farm, where we met Marcie Mayer.

Marcie originally came to Kea because of its incredible oak forests. She told us that for generations, the island’s acorn caps were exported for leather tanning until chemical alternatives took over around 1965. Gross, right? Now she’s turning acorns into flour, which I learned makes some pretty tasty cookies! All while helping preserve the forests and supporting local families.

This is exactly the kind of stuff I love discovering and sharing on my culinary and cultural immersions. The people, their stories, their connection to the land.

Another highlight? Two women we’d met waiting for the ferry told us about the cheese their family has been making for generations, using milk from cows originally brought over from Holland. They don’t really sell it commercially and told us they mostly just eat it themselves. I was psyched when they invited us into their home for a tasting and in the end we bought some back to share with the group this week.

Somewhere along the way, we took a dip at gorgeous Koundouros Beach and visited the ancient Lion of Kea, carved right into the rock around the 6th century BCE.

In reality, we just cruised around, had coffee, ate some delicious food, followed our curiosity, and figured things out as we went.

No real itinerary. No pressure to be anywhere. Just good people, good friends, incredible food, beautiful places, and a whole lot of discovery.

What started as a spontaneous adventure turned into a bit of scouting as well. I have a feeling Kea might just find its way into one of my future trips! 🇬🇷 by @jeremyrocksmith

28

5

6 days ago

So of course, there’s some brain stuff going on here that I looked up after shooting this video. 😂

Not that I needed confirmation, because I’ve experienced it myself, but there’s actually some pretty interesting neuroscience behind all this.

Our brains are constantly trying to predict what’s going to happen next. We all know that. And when we plan things out, we naturally start creating expectations of how they’re supposed to unfold.

But what’s really interesting is that when we experience something new or unexpected, it CAN actually help our brains create stronger memories. Novelty and surprise can engage the parts of our brains involved in learning and memory, and that’s part of how neuroplasticity works.

In the end, I’m not saying don’t plan your trips. I certainly do. But I think there’s a lot to be said for not having every single minute figured out. by @jeremyrocksmith

38

12

7 days ago

I had a plan when I arrived in Greece. Head straight to Poros, settle in, slow down, and find my rhythm.

But Katerina and Rik had other ideas. A spontaneous trip to the island of Kea, somewhere I’d never been. No planning, no itinerary. Just an invitation.

And I said yes.

It’s funny how attached we can get to our plans and routines, even when we’re traveling. Our brains love predictability, and sometimes we talk ourselves out of experiences simply because they weren’t part of the plan.

But there’s something about stepping into the unfamiliar. New places, new experiences, unexpected moments. They wake us up and remind us how good it feels to break out of our usual patterns.

Sometimes it’s about trusting your gut instead of listening to all the reasons your brain gives you to stay the course. by @jeremyrocksmith

115

26

8 days ago

Something I’ve come to realize over the last few years: sometimes the best thing you can do is just go.

I think we spend a lot of time waiting for the right time. When work settles down. When life gets less busy. When we have a little more time, a little more money, or a little less responsibility.

Problem is, life doesn’t really work that way, and it’s taken me 55 years to realize that there’s always going to be something.

As I looked out the window that morning, touching down in Rome to catch my flight to Sardinia, watching the shadow of the plane I was reminded how much I love that feeling of arriving somewhere new.

You don’t know exactly what the week will bring, who you’ll meet, what you’ll eat, what you’ll learn, or what part of the place you’ll end up carrying home with you.

I just know in the end I’m always glad I went.

I think one of life’s greatest tragedies can be waiting for the perfect time, only to realize one day that we waited too long.

Sometimes we just need to go.

#Sardinia2027 by @jeremyrocksmith

163

20

2 months ago

Join me and @jeremyrocksmith at @odyssey.ecoglamping May 5-12, 2027 for “Rewilding Greece: A Culinary, Foraging, and Intuitive Archery Immersion”, in the land of The Odyssey!
Link to pre-register in my story.
This will fill fast so reserve your spot while you can! by @jeremyrocksmith

93

1

2 months ago

What a fantastic afternoon of cooking together and learning about Mediterranean cooking with @jeremyrocksmith. Simple ingredients cooked intentionally produces the best flavors. Focus on the freshest ingredients…veggies and legumes. Add animal proteins as a side dish… lots and lots of olive oil! Thanks Jeremy for another crazy fun class! #weekendkitchen #jeremyrocksmith #learntocook #longevity #mediterraneandiet taken in Weekend Kitchen by @jeremyrocksmith

58

6

2 months ago

You don’t have to decide what to eat. The season already has.

It’s Summer. Peaches are luscious. Tomatoes are at their peak. Corn is at its absolute best… unless you’re French. The French don’t eat corn. 😂

Zucchini, eggplant, and basil are all asking to be eaten right now. Especially the zucchini. I’m sure your neighbor, or that person at work, has already been giving you way more than you can handle from their garden. 😃

The best part? When food is in season, it’s all ready to eat. You don’t have to do much to it. A drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, a little salt, and it tastes incredible. That’s one of the beautiful lessons of the Mediterranean diet. It isn’t about making food more complicated. It’s about letting great ingredients shine.

Culturally, we spend so much energy chasing the next superfood that we forget one of the healthiest habits is simply eating what’s naturally growing around us.

Nature has been planning the menu long before we started counting calories.

There’s a rhythm to it.

Healthy eating isn’t about planning the perfect diet. I think it’s more about paying attention to the season we’re actually living in.

That’s a rhythm worth returning to and leaning into.

☀️ What’s one food you wait all year to eat when summer finally arrives? by @jeremyrocksmith

18

4

3 months ago

The Mediterranean diet is all about eating with the seasons, and here in New England, watermelon and sweet corn are at their best right now.

I first made this recipe probably six or seven years ago, and it’s one I always come back to in the summer. It’s light, refreshing, and full of fresh herbs and peak-season produce. I still can’t decide whether it’s a soup or a salad but either way, who cares? It’s amazing. 🍉🌽

WATERMELON & SWEET CORN GAZPACHO
Serves 6

6 cups roughly chopped watermelon
1 1/4 cups 1/4-inch diced watermelon, reserved for serving
2 1/4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
3/4 cup pomegranate or cranberry juice, or a combination of the two
3/8 cup 1/4-inch diced cucumber
3/8 cup 1/4-inch diced celery
3/4 cup fresh sweet corn kernels, cut from the cob
4 1/2 tablespoons 1/4-inch diced red bell pepper
2 1/4 tablespoons 1/4-inch diced red onion
3/4 teaspoon minced jalapeño
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for garnish
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for garnish
3 tablespoons lime juice
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 1/8 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Chill six shallow soup bowls.

Blend the roughly chopped watermelon with the juice until smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients, reserving the diced watermelon, basil, and mint for garnish.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.

Divide among the chilled bowls and finish with the reserved diced watermelon, basil, and mint.

No sherry vinegar? Use 6 tablespoons lime juice total.

We made this once when I was teaching a bunch of kids, and we decided to throw in some blueberries. That worked, too. Just remember, when it comes to substitutions, as long as you like it, it works. 😊 by @jeremyrocksmith

47

5

3 months ago

One of the things I love most about Mediterranean cooking is how much it reminds me of Ayurveda.

At first glance, of course they come from different worlds. One from the Mediterranean and one from India.

But after spending enough time with both, I realized they’re asking many of the same questions.

How do we eat with the seasons?

How do we nourish ourselves instead of simply filling ourselves up?

And how do we create meals that support the life we’re trying to live?

Truth be told, you can make either one incredibly complicated. It’s what we humans do. We love turning simple things into systems, rules, and checklists.

I know I certainly did when I first stepped into the wellness world 20 years ago.

But at their core, both traditions are remarkably simple.

🥕 Eat real food.

🌿 Pay attention to the seasons.

🍳 Cook with intention.

🍽️ Share meals with people you love.

🐢 And perhaps most importantly, slow down enough to actually enjoy them.

These traditions were never meant to be diets.

They were meant to be ways of living.

I’m pretty sure at this point that healthy cooking and eating isn’t about making life more complicated.

Because complicated isn’t sustainable, and it’s certainly not enjoyable.

It’s about returning to a simpler rhythm of living.

🫒🌿✨ by @jeremyrocksmith

69

5

3 months ago