My name is Reginald Solomon Jr., founder of The Smoke of Solomon. I have always enjoyed learning, so I created this space to provide advice, recipes, new ideas, and product reviews for the novice weekend griller/outdoor cook like myself, who wants to be better.
What Prepared Me
I was born and raised in North Carolina and if you know anything about BBQ, the pig is king around here. My father was born in eastern NC which is kind of the epicenter of NC style BBQ. After going to hundreds of cook-outs, gatherings, and celebrations I’ve had more than my fair share of grilled food. I also enjoy the fellowship that happens around the grill. Even nowadays, when I show up to a cookout, I grab a beer and head to the grill to greet whoever is manning the grill. I started dabbling with the grill myself in my late teens but wasn’t too much into it. Ironically, I really fell in love with cooking in college when I moved off campus and had to cook for myself.
What Lit My Fire
Sadly, I paid for an entire cable subscription at my college apartment even though my TV only stayed on 3 channels: BET, ESPN, and the Food Network. That’s when the “necessity” turned into a passion. Looking back, I probably shouldn’t have been grilling on my top floor balcony. There was no roof above me, so I bought a little 2-foot kettle style grill and got it poppin! As I moved on in life, graduated, hit the workforce, and got married, that passion grew, and I got better at it. Now that I am older and it’s a downright obsession.
The Endgame
Let me be the first to tell you that I am not a chef, nor do I have any professional training. I am just a guy who loves cooking outdoors. I’m talking grilled, smoked, boiled, fried, you name it…. sign me up! I made this blog to help other guys and girls become the talk of their circles rather than the one that nobody wants to be on the grill. Learn with me as I explore the joys, flavors, textures, and smells of cooking with fire and smoke.
The Smoke of Solomon 