Come Cook with Dorothy Zehnder

What trip to Frankenmuth would be complete without partaking in some of the food for which our “Little Bavaria” has become known? Now, you can bring some of those tastes into your own home on a regular basis, thanks to Come Cook With Me, a new cookbook from Dorothy Zehnder.   

A spry 89, Dorothy is the much beloved matriarch of the Bavarian Inn, who has been in the inn’s kitchen for more than 60 years. That’s still where you’ll her, six days and up to sixty hours a week.   

While Frankenmuth has become synonymous with chicken dinners, frequent visitors know that the menu of delicious items extends far beyond that popular favorite to include such tasty treats as buttered spaetzle, schnitzel, and apple kuchen. In fact, the much anticipated cookbook is an 80-year collection of some 290 recipes, interlaced with wisdom and endearing stories from Dorothy’s life. 

Come Cook With Me is filled with beautiful photos and narratives, starting with Dorothy’s early childhood memories on her parents’ farm, her 62-year marriage to husband Tiny, the lean years, her growing family, and the demanding task of bringing the Bavarian Inn into the 21st Century. 

Despite the seemingly obvious appeal, Dorothy admits she was originally reluctant to commit to the project.  “At first I was a bit protective of the recipes and the story of my family,” she said. “But now I see it as a natural way to share my family’s legacy with all of the people who’ve enjoyed a meal with us.”

Over the years there certainly have been innumerable families who have sought out Frankenmuth’s iconic glockenspiel, and come inside to share a meal. The team there served a record of 5,470 meals on October 9, 1982, and more than 20 million meals in the first 100 years (1888 through 1988). 

It’s not hard to believe that many people could have enjoyed a meal at the inn. According to its Michigan historical marker, Bavarian Inn is one of the 10 largest restaurants in the United States.   

“It is not easy serving dinner to 1,000 people,” Dorothy said. “I had to learn how to develop kitchen systems to prepare and produce food. That kind of information was not readily available in the 1950s. There was a lot of trial and error, a lot of hard work and a lot of love.”

Learning by doing has been the story of Dorothy’s amazing career. She was just 16 years old in when she began working at what was then the Fischer Hotel. Just a few years later, she and husband Tiny Zehnder and his family bought the restaurant, changed its name, and began as the new managers. According to Tiny’s autobiography, he and Dorothy started with a huge debt and just three recipes left them by the former owners.

“I do believe that if there was one thing that really helped me throughout life,” Dorothy said, “it was that I learned how to work hard at an early age. And I learned how to do the job right the first time.”

Dorothy still makes the restaurant’s food from scratch using the freshest Michigan products. During the course of a year the Bavarian Inn will serve 1.5 tons of whitefish, 2,650 gallons of sauerkraut, more than 1,500 bushels of apples, 125 tons of potatoes and enough dark beer to float a battleship.

Naturally, to keep the quality consistently high, we’d advise using fine Michigan ingredients when you prepare Come Cook With Me meals for your family and guests as well. 

The cookbook can be purchased for $24.99 at the Bavarian Inn’s Bakery and online through the Bavarian Inn website (www.bavarianinn.com). It contains recipes that have been in Dorothy’s family for more than a century, several never before shared with the public. That includes such favorites as the Bavarian Inn’s Rouladen (beef rolls) and warm German potato salad, Kartoffelkaeseknoedel (potato cheese puffs), cranberry relish and her famous bread pudding.

As for Dorothy, chances are if you make a visit to the historic Bavarian Inn, you’ll see her bouncing around the dining room delighting guests. 

“I offer these stories and recipes from my heart,” said Dorothy. “And I plan to continue making the meals people love. You may know my age, but I’m still a kid at heart.”

Rumor has it she tried to retire about 10 years ago, but it didn’t quite work out. 

“I’m not the Bingo type,” she admitted. “I’ve always believed work should be fun. You’re doing something you like with people you like. Why shouldn’t that be fun? Having fun is very important.”