Wildwood Grilling showcases region's cooking
(Photo courtesy WILDWOOD GRILLING) Wildwood Grilling’s Matt Curmi recently teamed up with Pacific Northwest chef Tom Douglas to host the “Glorious Wood Planked and Smoked Pacific Northwest Dinner” at the Hot Stove Society in Seattle.
(Photo courtesy WILDWOOD GRILLING) Wildwood Grilling’s Matt Curmi helps a student at the “Glorious Wood Planked and Smoked Pacific Northwest Dinner” hosted by the Hot Stove Society in Seattle.
(Photo courtesy WILDWOOD GRILLING) Wildwood Grilling's Matt Curmi, right, recently teamed up with Pacific Northwest chef Tom Douglas to host the “Glorious Wood Planked and Smoked Pacific Northwest Dinner” at the Hot Stove Society in Seattle.
Wildwood Grilling’s new hire, Chef Matt Curmi, recently teamed up with Pacific Northwest chef Tom Douglas to host the “Glorious Wood Planked and Smoked Pacific Northwest Dinner” at the Hot Stove Society in Seattle.
Curmi created a menu for the Hot Stove Society’s Fourth Street cooking class, using Wildwood Grilling products to showcase the variety of smoke flavors produced by different wood types — cedar, cherry, red oak and hickory. Twenty-four students participated in preparing recipes with the help of both chefs.
The class was a success and each student was excited to learn more about the use of grilling planks, Wildwood officials noted in a press release. They prepared hickory smoked peaches, cherry wood smoked cocktails, cedar plank smoked salmon, red oak planked roasted shallots, cedar wrapped and roasted pears, and cedar skewered beef. The variety of wood used proved to be a great way to add unique flavor to these diverse dishes. Each student came away with recipes to take home and hands-on experience.
Curmi was hired October 2017 as the corporate chef for Wildwood Grilling, a family-run grilling plank manufacturer based out of Sandpoint. He dove right into his new role by grilling with the well-known, high-profile Seattle restaurateur, chef Tom Douglas. Douglas is known for winning the 1994 James Beard award for best Northwest Chef and for his appearance on Iron Chef America, where he defeated Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Douglas owns a group of diverse and successful restaurants within the Seattle area, including Dahlia Lounge, Lola, Etta’s, Palace Kitchen, Brave Horse Tavern, and more.
Curmi has worked as a chef in Flagstaff, Ariz., Bar Harbor, Maine, Portland, Ore., and now Sandpoint. He has also worked internationally in Mallorca, Spain, and London, England.
Wildwood Grilling is the world’s largest grilling plank producer. All of their sustainably sourced, food safe, wood products are manufactured in the U.S.
Information: wildwoodgrilling.com