Yiavia Next Door

Yiayia Next Door

Recipes, Love & the Healing Power of Food
By Daniel Mancuso & Luke Mancuso

A deeply moving and heartwarming collection of traditional Greek recipes inspired by kindness, community, and the bonds that nourish us through life’s hardest moments.

Description

After losing their beloved mother Teresa to domestic violence, brothers Daniel Mancuso and Luke Mancuso found comfort and care in the simple yet profound kindness of the Greek grandmother next door — their “Yiayia.” Passing home-cooked meals over the fence, she helped guide them through grief with warmth, nourishment, and love.

As their story touched hearts across Australia through social media, their relationship became a powerful reminder of how food can connect people, restore hope, and create family beyond blood.

Yiayia Next Door brings together treasured recipes from Yiayia’s kitchen and from Greek grandmothers around Australia. Filled with comforting, traditional dishes, the book celebrates culture, resilience, and the enduring power of generosity.

Inside You’ll Find

• Traditional pastries including spanakopita and tiropita
• Hearty soups with chickpeas, lentils, and beans
• Classic Greek dishes such as moussaka and yemista
• Barbecued meats and keftedes
• Beloved desserts including baklava and galaktoboureko

More Than a Cookbook

This is a story of love forged through tragedy, of community care, and of the healing that can come from a shared meal and a compassionate gesture.

A percentage of book sales is donated to the Australian Childhood Foundation.

Product Features

• Collection of authentic Greek family recipes
• Heartfelt storytelling woven throughout the cookbook
• Celebrates family, culture, resilience, and connection
• Includes both savoury dishes and traditional desserts
• Beautifully presented with inspiring personal stories
• Ideal for food lovers, home cooks, and gift giving
• Hardcover edition
• Approximate dimensions: 28.5 cm x 22 cm x 2.5 cm
• 272 pages
• ISBN: 9781761343155

Why You’ll Love It

• Authentic Greek comfort food recipes
• A heartfelt story of kindness and resilience
• Celebrates family, culture, and connection
• Beautiful gift for food lovers and home cooks alike

A soulful collection of recipes and stories that reminds us food has the power not only to nourish the body, but also to heal the heart.