[Jaki Vampyler]

The next brightening, Jaki answered the door to Tania who smiled at her and came in. She carried her usual big basket, this time full of vegetables and savoury things. Jaki looked with interest, and watched carefully as Tania put it down on the table.

Alright, Jaki she said, quietly We are going move on from boiling today, and look at simmering. This is a necessary technique that we will spend the brightening looking at. Now, let me show you

Under Tania's instructions, Jaki filled her large cooking pot with water, and put it on the heat. Watching it seemed to take forever for it to boil, and Jaki found herself growing impatient, but eventually, the watched pot boiled.

Now, what we are going to do, Jaki, is we are going to turn the heat down a little said Tania, doing just that and then we are going to keep it at the point of boiling, but only just. THis is known as simmering, and is the staple of most cookery in its most basic form.

Jaki nodded, watching how the simmering water bubbled, but gently, not the fierce bubbling of a boiling pot. She watched with interest and paid close attention. Now Jaki said Tania I want you to peel and chop those potatoes please, and we will cook them together, alright

Jaki nodded and did just that, cutting them up as Tania instructed. As she did, she recalled her first and second lesson So when I made the stew, I was simmering, then, was I not? Tania smiled Indeed you were. Now, that's fine, you've got enough there. Let's pop them in the pot and let them cook

Jaki did that, placing the chopped potatoes into the pot and then looked at Tania for guidance Now, since they are needing to stay at simmer, we have to keep an eye on them. Not constantly watching, but close enough that you can see if the water evaporates too far down, or gets too hot. So, we'll sit here and get on with chopping these other vegetables, hmm?

Jaki and Tania chopped some other vegetables, and after twenty five minutes, Tania motioned that they should get up Ok. Now, see here, we'll stick a knife into the potatoe like so she said, doing just that and see - the knife slides through quite easily. These potatoes are cooked. Try it Jaki did just that and nodded, thoughtfully So this is the correct consistency? Not harder, not softer? Tania nodded and they drained the potatoes together.

They spent the rest of the brightening cooking different vegetables in that way - from peas to cauliflower, and each time Tania showed Jaki the right consistency of cooked and how to test it.

By the end of the lesson, they had a pile of vegetables that were cooked together. Tania smiled at Jaki and motioned to them I've kept them warm on the stove, so we can enjoy those for lunch, I would say. This they did, and then Tania left once again, and Jaki cleaned up, wondering what tomorrows lesson would bring.