Pain, the art of patience, and a raspberry clafoutis

I’m trying to be strong, but my goodness, am I a lousy ‘sick’ person. It feels as though I’ve hit the pause button, and my life now revolves around my foot.
Warning: This post mentions medical procedures.

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To make a long story short, it looks like the antibiotics are working, but the swelling hasn’t gone down. Impatient me went back to the doctor yesterday, desperate for help. I’m due to travel to Italy in three weeks, as I’ve been asked to be a wine judge at Radici del Sud, an annual contest and exhibition of southern Italy’s top wines. It’s a huge event, and I’ve been chosen as one of 16 international wine journalists to attend. I dread the thought of something going wrong. Again.

The doctor said it “could take a while” to go down. What is “a while?” Only God knows. We agreed to have the so-called blister aspirated. It didn’t work. The doc hit a vein, and instead of going down, it filled with blood. I now have a shiny black lump on my foot.

It’s been nearly two weeks since I went for my hour-long walks. The weather has been absolutely beautiful, and I’m stuck inside with my foot still propped on pillows. I feel sluggish—maybe it’s the medication, maybe the lack of exercise, or maybe the fact that I have to go to bed very late in order to spread four doses evenly throughout the day.

While at the doctor’s yesterday, I blurted out in frustration, “I could almost cry.” I hated him for not making me instantly better (foolish, I know). Yes, in the larger scheme of things, it’s ‘only’ a ‘blister’ (well, sort of), but can we please make it go away?

(Side note: while waiting for my appointment yesterday, I received an invitation to travel to Poland this weekend for another wine tasting. The irony…)

It’s hard to be productive. Concentrating is a lost art now.

So what does one do in such misery? (Okay, I’m being dramatic now—but indulge me, please.) One makes something good to eat. In this case: a raspberry clafoutis. Fully plant-based. Utterly delicious.

Thanks for reading.
All positive vibes welcome.
And now on to clafoutis.

Raspberry clafoutis

The word ‘clafoutis’ was first noted in 1864 and is derived from the Occitan word ‘clafir’ (to fill), derived from ‘claufir’ (an Old French word that means to fasten with nails). The real clafoutis is originally from Limoges in Limousin (also known for their beautiful porcelain) and is made with small, sour cherries called ‘griottes,’ or morello cherries. The cherries are unpitted, which makes them less likely to release juice that can ‘stain’ the batter. Additionally, the pits impart a characteristic almond flavor to the batter. Yet not many home cooks are keen on using unpitted cherries for fear of disasters such as choking or broken teeth. Nevertheless, I go the authentic route and serve my cherry clafoutis with plenty of warnings.
Of course, clafoutis can be made with just about any kind of fruit, and raspberries happen to be one of my favorites for this dessert. Like the crème brûlée, this dish traditionally calls for eggs, but I’ve created a plant-based version that is perhaps even more delicious than the original.
Note: Make sure to allow the clafoutis to cool before cutting. This will ensure that it firms up and cuts into neater portions. The clafoutis is delicious cold and will keep well in the fridge for approximately three days.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
250ml soy cream
200ml soy milk
2 tsps vanilla extract
30g plant-based butter, melted
120g all-purpose flour
Pinch of fleur de sel
2 tbsps cornstarch
60g white sugar
225g raspberries
Powdered sugar, to serve

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C and butter a shallow, 27cm oval baking dish. In a jug, whisk the soy cream, soy milk, vanilla extract and melted butter. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, cornstarch and sugar. Gradually pour the wet ingredients into the dry while whisking. Place the raspberries in the dish and pour the mixture over the raspberries. Bake for 40 minutes. Allow the clafoutis to cool completely before serving. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar or some vanilla ice cream.