Downtown Ames boasts a little-known spot that can provide demonstrations and resources for aspiring chefs.

Twenty-seven years ago, Marg Junkhan opened up Cook’s Emporium, 313 Main St., and she has been the sole owner ever since.

For anyone interested in cooking or baking, the store can be a useful resource, as it has almost every kitchen gadget a person could dream of.

In addition to providing kitchen utensils and cookbooks, Cook’s Emporium also offers cooking demonstrations.

These cooking demos are held at 10 a.m. every Saturday morning. The demos last about an hour, with the presenter showing how to cook a certain meal and how to use the products available in the store.

“It’s a great way to show people new products coming out,” Junkhan said.

Typically, Cook’s Emporium doesn’t have a lot of college students attend the demos. Junkhan thinks this is because most college students like to sleep in on Saturday mornings.

“You don’t have to dress up. It’s a fun class. There are no tests, no assignments. Plus, you get to sample the food,” Junkhan said.

Kristi Nong, sophomore in hotel, restaurant and institution management, said she was interested in attending a cooking demo if she could find the time.

“I would definitely go to learn desserts, like custards, crepes and creme brulee,” Nong said.

Cook’s Emporium features different styles of cooking and different kinds of food for their demos. Each Saturday, a new recipe is demonstrated, ranging from homestyle cooking recipes, such as old-fashioned chicken and dumplings, to more exotic dishes such as samak, a Mediterranean fish. Several vegetarian meals are also made throughout the culinary event season, which lasts from fall until spring. Demos are not done in the summer because of low attendance rates.

Amy Streich, senior in advertising, has attended a cooking demo at Cook’s Emporium before with her mother. Streich said she was the only student to attend that day.

“If they had easier recipes that catered to college students’ budgets, I think more students would go,” Streich said.

Even without students, the demos attract an average of 20 people each weekend, with the majority of the attendees being women, 40-years-old and up.

So the next time you aspire to be like Emeril in the kitchen, or you simply want to do something different on a Saturday morning, make your way over to Cook’s Emporium, where you will be greeted with a welcoming staff and friendly customers.