Baltimore CC’s Exec Sous Chef says this is the most thoughtful gift he’s ever received.
Chef’s Thoughts is sponsored by barillafs.com.
Kevin Keller is the Executive Sous Chef of Baltimore (Md.) Country Club under Richard Jallet, Executive Chef. Prior to this post, Keller worked with the Maryland Club in downtown Baltimore City.
- You’d be surprised to learn that I am a proficient mechanic.
- If I could trade places with one chef it would be Jean-Georges Vongerichten
- One of my most memorable meals was Le Train Bleu in Paris, France.
- My go-to drink is sweet iced tea.
- My last meal would be beef spinalis and mushroom duxelle roulade with potato dauphinois, charred broccolini and truffle demi-glace.
- My worst culinary creation was Greek salad ice. It had all the flavors but was a clear ice. It would have tasted great except I added too much salt which ruined the taste and prevented it from fully freezing.
- If I could change one thing about my club it would be to have better/more normalized hours for the culinary department.
- My favorite junk food is freshly made Italian wedding cookies.
- If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be jet-fighter pilot.
- I knew I wanted to be a chef for as long as I can remember. As a small child, I would watch Julia Child and Jacques Pepin on PBS every chance I had.
- You’ll never see escargot on the menu at my club because they are not appetizing to me. (Sorry Chef Jallet!)
- The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was crab Scotch egg but with a soft-boiled egg. I figured it out, but I will never volunteer myself or anyone else to do that ever again.
- I love being a club chef because I can learn my members’ tastes and work towards fulfilling their expectations while expanding their palate gradually.
- When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m hanging out with my pup, Josie.
- My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was writing menus that were too involved for prep and execution.
- I cook Steak-Umms at home, but I’d never cook them at the club.
- If I could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, it would be Winston Churchill.
- The most valuable piece of career advice I’ve ever received was, “A people hire A people. B people hire C people.”
- My favorite celebrity chef is Gordon Ramsay because over the years he has been portrayed as more of a chef and family man than just a tyrant.
- The most important piece of equipment in my kitchen is Rational Ovens.
- I want to learn more about GM daily functions and operations because it is smart to know about and be prepared for other avenues if life happens to go in another direction.
- My favorite ingredient is bacon. Truffles are the most overrated ingredient. Worcestershire Sauce is the most undervalued ingredient. I detest escargot, and I can’t live without salt.
- I don’t like to brag, but as my dad says, I know a little about a lot.
- My most embarrassing moment in the kitchen was when I was told by a sous chef to mark both sides of a 4 oz. steak for a banquet. Against my better judgment, I listened and overcooked them. I was embarrassed and ashamed for ruining the steaks.
- If I could have one superpower, it would be invisibility so I can see how things operate when I am not around.
- My favorite cookbook is Flavor Bible. It’s a great resource for getting creative thoughts flowing.
- My favorite kitchen hack is using the flat top and water to quickly steam things for a quicker pick-up. It amazes me how under-utilized it is.
- I am motivated and inspired by my parents.
- The hardest service of my career is almost every day these days. There are high expectations and minimal staff. Not sure how we get it done but the team makes it happen day in and day out.
- The most popular item on my menu based on sales is our burger from a local meat company served on a logoed wooden board and on a logoed brioche bun that we brand ourselves.
- I’d lose my job if I took the crab cake off the menu.
- Decisiveness is the most important quality in a sous chef.
- My go-to breakfast is bacon and mayo on toast.
- When hiring, jumping from job to job in very short periods of time kills a resume fastest for me.
- My biggest professional pet peeve is not listening to what’s happening around you.
- I will always purchase phyllo dough instead of making it from scratch.
- The most important question I ask during the interview process is, “When and what was your last random act of kindness?”
- If I had to hire a family member, I would choose my mom because she can really cook.
- The best culinary gift I’ve ever received was genuine thank you letters from extremely talented individuals who moved on.