We use Ioffe's method of constructing (local) baryon field operators in terms of quarks to derive an effective chiral Lagrangian with U(3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(3) symmetry consisting of the ${J}^{P}$${=(1/2)}^{+}$ baryon octet, the ${J}^{P}$${=(1/2)}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ baryon nonet, and the pseudoscalar-meson nonet. This formalism leads to a set of generalized Goldberger-Treiman relations of the form \ensuremath{\sim}(${\mathrm{M}}_{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$+${\mathrm{M}}_{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}$), \ensuremath{\sim}(${M}_{+}$-${M}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$). We enumerate all nonvanishing three-point couplings to study the decays ${B}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${B}_{+}$\ensuremath{\pi}. We explain why the negative-parity isodoublet N(1535) decays predominantly into N\ensuremath{\eta}, as opposed to N\ensuremath{\pi}, even though relatively suppressed by phase space.