SALLY PASLEY VARGAS is a freelance writer and the author of Food for Friends and The Tao of Cooking. She launched her culinary career as a line cook at Rudi’s Big Indian Restaurant near Woodstock, New York. Her country neighbor at the time, Chef Eugene Bernard, was teaching at The Culinary Institute of America (C.I.A.). He frequently visited the kitchen to advise and mentor the cooks, and eventually arranged for Vargas to intern with pastry chef Albert Kumin at the C.I.A. She is a cooking teacher, coach, recipe developer, and currently writes the column “The Confident Cook” for the Boston Globe along with seasonal recipes for the Wednesday Food Section. Vargas has written for Vegetarian Times and The Magazine of Yoga. She also contributes to Craving Boston, the WGBH Public Television website. Her interest in photography has led Vargas to combine her love of cooking with photos of beautiful food.