Yiayia Next Door: Recipes from Yiayia’s Kitchen OPUS

A book about the power of food to bring people together, featuring 60 classic Greek recipes and one incredible true story of kindness and community

When Daniel and Luke Mancuso lost their beloved mother Teresa to domestic violence, the Greek grandmother next door stepped in and started looking after them, passing home-cooked meals over the fence. This simple act of kindness helped Daniel and Luke navigate the fog of grief that followed, and captured the hearts of Australia when they started to share the meals and their special relationship with ‘Yiayia’ on social media.

Now we can all enjoy Yiayia’s home cooking, with this collection of traditional recipes from her kitchen and those of yiayias all around Australia. Yiayia’s food is pure comfort: pastries such as spanakopita and tiropita; warming soups made with chickpeas, lentils and beans; hearty pasta and rice dishes such as moussaka and yemista; the unmistakable flavors of barbecued lamb and keftedes; and delicious desserts such as baklava and custard-filled galaktoboureko.

This is a book about the power of food to bring people together. It’s about love forged in tragedy, the importance of connection and how simple gestures, such as giving someone a home-cooked meal, can transform lives and restore hope.

Includes dual measures.

About the Author

Daniel and Luke Mancuso are the founders of Yiayia Next Door, a social enterprise committed to inspiring kindness and encouraging people to ‘love thy neighbour’ as the most powerful antidote to violence. A graphic designer and barber respectively, Daniel and Luke have grown an incredible Instagram community @yiayianextdoor, which has become a powerful voice in family violence education, prevention and support. Together they work closely with organisations such as Carlton Football Club’s Respect program, Our Watch, Safe Steps and the Australian Childhood Foundation.

Daniel and Luke live in Melbourne (next door to Yiayia and Pappou).