Talk of the North > Previous Issues > Issue 2

When the Tough get going
Web Site Get-together
Boquer Dig
Pushing the Limits

Recipe - Risotto

The first half of September sees two of the most gruelling sporting events in the north of Mallorca -- the annual swim from Formentor to Mal Pas on Saturday the 10th, and the following week the toughest of the lot -- the Balearman Triathlon.

The swimming race on September 10th is the fifth organised by Alcudia Council's Sports Department and involves the seven kilometre distance across the open sea from the beach at Formentor to the Sant Pere beach at Mal Pas.

The race starts at 9am and the first swimmers will start arriving in Mal Pas some two hours later. The event is open to anyone and there are prizes for men and women in different age groups, as well as for winners in the handicapped category.

If you fancy yourself as a strong swimmer you have until the 8th of September to register for the race, call or fax 971 897 103 for an application form. It will cost you 12€ for the form and an awful lot of energy for the race, anyone interested should certainly read our interview with athlete Carlos Capllonch McCabe on page six of this issue.

The Balearman Triathlon is made up of a 2.5km swim, followed by an 83km cycle race and ending with a 21km run. Exhausting to even think about, this one is strictly iron man stuff. The swimming section takes place in the Bay of Alcudia, starting at 11am on Saturday September 17th. The cycling track takes participants to Sa Pobla and back to Puerto Alcudia three times, while the run follows fairly level ground along the Puerto Alcudia coastline and the northern part of Lago Grande.

Two really top-knotch events for northern Mallorca that will certainly attract a lot of interest within the sporting world. Though even if you're not made of iron, the races will make for great spectator entertainment, so get out there and give these athletes some encouragement.

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Some 25 members of the Discussion Forum section of the popular web site puertopollensa.com detached themselves from their computers last week and met up face-to-face in Puerto Pollensa.

Zelda Tolley and husband Steve, who started the site in March 2001, were on hand to help everyone put faces to the Forum names they had seen so often on their computer screens. Local advertising agent for puertopollensa.com Martin Cross also helped to keep the sangria flowing. Pollensa Man and mallorcaboy were there, and though Smiddy and Lady Pollenca couldn't make it, they sent greetings via the Internet. The staff at Pascalino's bar on the sea-front promenade were kept busy adding table after table as more web site regulars turned up.

"This is our third get-together," said Zelda as she circulated round the group dispensing mouse-mats and pens. "and it is certainly the biggest!"

The Tolleys, although based in the UK, holiday in Puerto Pollensa regularly and have bought a home here. They set up puertopollensa.com because they love the area so much and felt more information on its facilities was needed. The site recently passed its one millionth visitor mark, a sign of how much it has grown in the past four years and of how much it is valued by holidaymakers.

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Volunteer diggers and scrapers in the Boquer area of Pollensa have been unearthing several pieces of pottery and earthenware believed to date from Roman times. The dig is overseen by archaeologists who hope that the current excavations could lead to the discovery of remains of another Roman city that existed at the same time as Pollentia, the foundations of which can be seen in Alcudia.

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Carlos Capllonch McCabe (Mallorcan father, Scottish mother in case you were wondering!), who works in the Eolo Hotel owned by his family, is Puerto Pollensa's own virtual Iron Man, having pushed himself to the limits in several endurance sports. So with the tough Balearman Triathlon and the gruelling Formentor to Alcudia swim on the horizon, Johanna MacDonald went along to talk to him about his races and perhaps get a few tips for competitors taking part this year.

How often have you taken part in the Formentor swim and Balearman Triathlon?
The swim I have done twice, and the Balearman three times.

What made you do it?
I have always liked long-distance sports, where you find out just how much your body can do.

How much preparation was involved?
Both races are completely different. The swim is really a non-competitive race, everyone is out there more to enjoy the swim than to look at your time on a watch. The Balearman, however, is a tough event with a 2km swim followed by an 80km bike ride and finishing with a 15km run. To perform well in long-distance triathlons you need a lot of free time to train, at least 25 to 35 hours a week.

How did you get on in the competitions?
Do you know, I haven't a clue. I'm always in the middle somewhere. I just want to finish.

Have you taken part in other swimming competitions or triathlons?
For many years I have been focusing on the Iron Man Triathlon held in Ibiza. The distances for that are a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2km run. To prepare for this race I ran everything I could in Mallorca -- half-marathons, mountain running races, all kinds of triathlons and bicycle races.

What have been the best and worst moments?
The best, without doubt, was when I qualified to race with the Spanish national team in the 30/35 year age group at the World ITU Long-Distance Triathlon. The worst? Mmm, in July two years ago I had an accident and broke my leg. I couldn't race for 18 months.

Would you do either of the competitions mentioned again?
Of course!!!

What other plans do you have, sports-wise?
I would like to run the "Marathon des Sables" held in the Sahara (a 6-day endurance race described as the world's toughest), and the Iron Man Lanzarote, plus a few other marathons such as London or Valencia.

And what tips do you have for participants in the Formentor to Mal Pas race this year?
Make use of the fresh water offered from boats lining the route, after an hour in the sea the salt makes you very dry --- and use lots of Vaseline!

Thank you for your time, Carlos, we hope to see you racing very soon..
It has been a pleasure. Thank you.

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A risotto is a wonderfully versatile Italian dish, perfect served with a green salad and a bottle of chilled wine in the summer as either a starter or a main course.

Practically any ingredient; meat, fish, fowl, herb, vegetable or cheese can be added to a risotto to flavour it. It is best to use short-grained rice such as Italian Arborio as the grains are less likely to break during cooking and the rice absorbs a lot of the liquid while retaining a firmness and bite. The dish can be cooked to your taste, ranging from being almost crunchy to creamy. You can control this by cooking slowly and adding small amounts of liquid over time, tasting the rice until it has the desired texture.

It is said that Lombardy’s Milan is where the first classic risotto was prepared and the most widely known Risotto alla Milanese comes from this region. In northern Italy, butter is used in the preparation of risottos while in the south they use olive oil, so why not try your hand at mustering up your own version of this mouth-watering rice dish basing it on our recipe for Tomato Risotto?

Tomato Risotto Serves 2-4

Ingredients
50g/2oz butter
A small bunch of spring onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 cups of short-grained rice
A small tin of chopped tomatoes
2 glasses of white wine
1 litre/2 pints approx. vegetable stock
A handful of fresh basil, chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Method
Preheat a large saucepan.
Melt the butter in the saucepan. Add the spring onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the rice and stir well. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Add the tomatoes and wine and simmer.
When the rice has absorbed the liquid, add a little stock. Continue to add the stock a little at a time until the rice is cooked (about 20/25 minutes). It should be cooking at a steady simmer. Be sure to stir the rice mixture frequently, preferably with a wooden fork, to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
Add the basil and Parmesan cheese if using. Give the risotto one last stir and remove from the heat.
Let the risotto stand for 2 minutes then spoon into a shallow bowl and serve.

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Contact
Ann MacDonald, C/Llevant 46, 2d, 07470 Puerto Pollensa.
Fax 971 864 163
E-mail: carduusann@yahoo.co.uk

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