Hipster Dance Class at The Sweat Spot

In musical theater terms I'm what you call a "Moves Well." It means I'm not quite a dancer but I've taken classes & I can do the basics. In college at UC, Irvine I had taken a ton of dance classes. They were the first dance classes I had ever taken actually so I needed a lot to catch up.

After college I moved to LA and took dance classes at The Edge. Mostly because it was supposedly The place to take classes. They had teachers who were working in the business as performers and choreographers. However I was used to classes in the UC system - tap classes based on musical theater styles & lots of modern classes. (Does anyone know where I can take a modern class in LA?) All the tap classes at The Edge are set to loud hip hop or rap & have replaced graceful lines with loud and fast taps. And The Edge also participates in some type of high school program where teenagers get school credit for taking classes there. So I'm always surrounded by teenagers sporting the latest in dance wear. I get a decent workout but I never feel really good when I leave any of those classes. (The one exception is Basic Hip Hop on Monday nights - soooooooo fun!!!)

Well I moved to Silverlake recently and a friend has been talking to me about a local place called The Sweat Spot. I figured it was more aerobic classes and less actual dance classes & ignored him for months. Then recently I was finally getting frustrated with myself for not taking any time out of my schedule for dance classes and my friend nudged me again by showing me the class list for The Sweat Spot. Hey - there are Jazz, Ballet, & Hip Hop classes! Whaaaat?

The price for classes are the same as The Edge (I get a union discount at The Edge) & they both had a Saturday morning Jazz 1 class but I can walk to The Sweat Spot & so I wouldn't have to get up as early. I do LOVE to sleep in!!

So I tried it. And I loved it. First of all the beginning levels of classes at The Edge are really more intermediate classes, especially for a "Moves Well." This Jazz 101 at The Sweat Spot really was a beginning class. It ended up being the perfect class for me to get back into dancing. Since I already knew all the basic techniques they were teaching I was able to let go and have fun. It reminded me that I love dancing. Also the rap and hip hop music at The Edge was replaced by The Cure & Siouxsie & The Banshees. Awesome!!! And they also have teachers who perform and choreograph in LA - but with artists like Beck & The Bird And The Bee. So cool!

When class was over I walked through the lobby and saw all the dancers waiting to start the next class. They weren't trendy teenagers. They were Silverlake hipsters with tattoos and piercings and guys with 'staches. Who knew there were hipster dancers?!

 The owner, Ryan Heffington. Notice the 'stache!

What I eat: Vegan Yum Yum's Broccoli Almond Sweet & Sour Tofu

Most of the time when I tell a non-vegan that I don't eat animal products they ask, "What do you eat?" Well...follow me on this food adventure as I unveil that mystery.

This week:   

Vegan Yum Yum's Broccoli Almond Sweet & Sour Tofu

This recipe is soooo yummy!! It's totally better than Chinese take out. I'd consider this on the vegan comfort food list since the tofu is fried. You could probably make it with steamed tofu but we all know everything tastes better fried!

I got this recipe from my favorite blog, iphone app, & cookbook: Vegan Yum Yum

Cooked rice 2 cups

Broccoli 1 cup
1 Tub Extra Firm Tofu, pressed
2 tsp Ener-g Egg Replacer + 4 tsp water, mixed
1/4 Cup Cornstarch
1/4 Cup Peanut or Canola Oil

Sauce
3 1/2 Tbs Seasoned Rice Vinegar (you can eyeball the 1/2 Tbs)
1/4 Cup Water
2 Tbs + 2 tsp Sugar
1 Tbs Tamari
1 Tbs Ketchup
1 tsp Molasses
1/4 tsp Ginger Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 Tbs Cornstarch + 2 Tbs water

If you don't have cooked rice on hand, definitely get that started. The rest of this recipe basically takes about 30 minutes so time your rice & cooking accordingly. 

Steam some broccoli while you prepare the tofu.

(Taken directly from Vegan Yum Yum)
Slice the tofu into triangles or small cubes. Smaller = better for this recipe, since smaller pieces won’t have a tendency to break when you toss them, and they have a bigger surface area to volume ratio (read: they’ll be crispier).
*Toss tofu with the egg replacer/water mixture until coated. Then toss in cornstarch until each piece is coated and dry, adding more cornstarch if needed.
Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok.
While oil is heating, mix sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch/water into a small sauce pan and whisk over medium heat until sugar and salt is dissolved. Add cornstarch mixture and whisk until the sauce thickens. If you leave the sauce unattended now it will thicken and burn, so keep an eye on it. When thick, turn off heat and set aside.
Place tofu in the hot oil, being careful not to burn yourself. You don’t want the tofu to be crowded or the pieces will stick to each other, so fry it in batches if needed. Fry for 3-5 minutes until golden on the bottom, then gently turn and brown the other side.
When the tofu is almost done frying, dump 1/4 – 1/2 cup sliced almonds on top so they fall into the oil. As SOON as they start to turn color, take it off the heat and drain the oil. In my experience, almonds taste burnt before they look burnt, so don’t let them sit in the oil forever.
Transfer the tofu and almonds into a large bowl and add the steamed broccoli. Toss with the sweet and sour sauce and serve over rice.

This recipe is even good for leftovers. It's not as crispy but the tofu has been marinating in the sauce longer. It's Vegan Yum Yum indeed!

So back to the original question: "What do you eat?" Now you know!

*Ener-G Egg Replacer is an easy egg substitute when you need a binding agent for baking or cooking. You can find it in the gluten free section of Whole Foods. Read more about it here: Ener-G Egg Replacer