As the Executive Chef of Baltimore (Md.) Country Club, Richard Jallet says his staff is one of the most important things in his kitchen.

At Baltimore (Md.) Country Club, Executive Chef Richard Jallet oversees a $5 million F&B operation, consisting of five kitchens spread between two clubhouses (in Baltimore and Lutherville, Md.) with more than 30 employees.

A native of France, Jallet apprenticed under Edward Merard at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada—first as a demi-chef saucier, then as a banquet chef, and finally as Merard’s sous chef. In 1988, Jallet left Canada to join Hilton Hotels and Resorts, working at properties in Miami, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis.

Chef Jallet made the switch to clubs in 1996, when he accepted the position of Executive Chef with the Minneapolis (Minn.) Club. After eight years there, he headed west to become Executive Chef at Eldorado Country Club (Indian Wells, Calif.). In 2014, he moved back to the East Coast to take on his current role at Baltimore CC.

1. You’d be surprised to learn that I am French, Canadian and American.
2. If I could trade places with one chef, it would be Alain Ducasse.
3. One of my most memorable meals was at Restaurant Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénée in Paris.
4. My go-to drink is an old-fashioned.
5. My last meal would be my grandmother’s sour cherries
6. My worst culinary creation was a pizza with kiwi and pesto.
7. If I could change one thing about my club I would install air conditioning in all of our kitchens.
8. My favorite junk food is Nutella.
9. If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be a professional athlete.
10. I knew I wanted to be a chef when my grandmother and father started to cook all the wonderful stuff raised or grown at home.
11. You’ll never see sea urchin on the menu at my club, because I do not like it.
12. The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was when a member only wanted to have female duck served to him—no male.
13. I love being a club chef because I can express myself in many ways, from large functions to smaller wine dinners. It is also great to be part of something bigger than yourself and not be treated as a peon, like in the corporate world.
14. When I’m not in the kitchen I’m home, traveling or at the gym.
15. My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was taking my work home.
16. If I were stranded on a desert island, I’d want these five foods with me: French bread, French cheese, chocolate, foie gras and good butter.
17. I cook brain at home, but I’d never cook it at the club.
18. If I could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, it would be my grandfather.
19. The most valuable piece of advice I’ve ever received was you only get what you check.
20. My favorite celebrity chef is Alain Ducasse, because of his constant pursuit of perfection.
21. The most important things in my kitchen are my staff and the cleanliness of the kitchen.
22. I want to learn more about how to interact with people, because it is crucial to running a successful brigade.
23. My favorite ingredient is fennel. Truffles are the most overrated ingredient. Salt is the most undervalued ingredient. I detest cinnamon, and I can’t live without butter.
24. The rules of conduct in my kitchen are: Be on time. Have a good work ethic. Put in the effort. Be aware of your body language and energy,
25. My most embarrassing moment in the kitchen was when I was told at 18 that I would never make it in this business. Since then, my only goal has been to prove that person wrong.
26. In clubs, I would like to see more members willing to try new things.
27. My favorite book is The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller.
28. My favorite TV show is “The Big Bang Theory.”
29. My favorite kitchen hack is xanthan gum.
30. My kids motivate and inspire me.