Many of us wish we lived next door to a yiayia (Greek for grandmother) – especially the one made famous by the phenomenon.
Her name is Nina, but she asks her neighbours, brothers , to simply call her yiayia. For years, she’s been cooking for them, passing dishes like lentil soup and over their shared fence in Melbourne’s north, which the brothers document on the . You see the dishes going over the fence, but never yiayia’s face, as she prefers to remain anonymous.
Yiayia and pappou, her husband, have been neighbours of the brothers' maternal grandparents for decades. Their nonna was close to yiayia, and so was their mum Teresa.
Two years after Daniel and Luke lost their mother to domestic violence, they decided to move into her home, to honour her memory. It also made their relationship with yiayia stronger than ever.
“From that moment on, yiayia took us under her wing and sort of helped us heal through the trauma, through her food and kindness. But our relationship is not a one-way street. She’ll obviously give us food, but we do our best to help her – like doing grocery shops for her or taking her to doctor's appointments,” Luke Mancuso explains to SBS Food.
This special relationship has inspired the brothers to turn the Yiayia Next Door Instagram account into a , encouraging people to connect with their neighbours as an antidote to violence. “We think it's really important to reach out to kids and really drive a message across about what is wrong and what is right, and just establish a really beautiful community. We really want to drive the importance of community kindness,” says Daniel.
Their latest project is a featuring yiayia Nina’s recipes, as well as recipes from the Yiayia Next Door community.
“The idea was to pay tribute to our mum but also to all mums, yiayias and strong women in our lives,” says Luke.
Their over-the-fence exchanges of food have now been captured in a new cookbook. Source: Mark Roper
The Yiayia Next Door cookbook took almost two years to complete. It was partly because of the pandemic, and also because, like a lot of experienced home cooks, yiayia didn’t have her recipes written down.
The idea was to pay tribute to our mum but also to all mums, yiayias and strong women in our lives.
Armed with a notepad and a pen, Luke observed yiayia while she was cooking and started writing things down. “It was a long process because she doesn't measure anything. Everything is in her head. I literally had to go buy measuring cups,” he says, laughing. “There was a lot of back and forth, but I'm glad that I had the privilege of being in the kitchen with her. It was a tricky process, but I'd go back and do it all over again.”
The result is a collection of comforting and approachable Greek recipes like (chicken and rice). “It's something very simple but it sits close to our hearts. It’s just one of those things that warm you up inside. That was the very first dish that we actually received from yiayia, so it played a big part in our life,” Daniel recalls.
The book also features her spanakopita recipe, which got her in-laws proud when she was a newlywed, as well as bean and lentil soups, which are Friday night staples in her household.
Midway through the cookbook, you’ll find a cannelloni recipe, which is quite special. It was one of Teresa’s recipes. She taught it to yiayia, who made it her own. “We actually got to cook it with her. It was very emotional for us, and a very proud moment. A few tears were flowing for that,” says Daniel.
Among the community recipes sent from all over Australia, there’s a topped with haloumi bechamel and a coconut and lemon syrup cake.
If you really want to fully embrace cooking like a yiayia, Nina gives some old-school kitchen tips like reusing supermarket jars and ice-cream containers. Pappou is also sharing his tips for a thriving garden, from using shoelaces to supporting baby plants to hanging old CDs to scare off birds.
Yiayia Nina would pass kourabiethes (moon biscuits) over the fence. Source: Mark Roper
Daniel and Luke want this cookbook to be the first of many, and hope people will use it to connect with their neighbours.
We actually got to cook it with her. It was very emotional for us, and a very proud moment. A few tears were flowing for that.
Towards the end of our conversation, I ask the brothers how they think their mother would feel seeing everything they’ve accomplished these past few years.
“Daniel and I both know she’d be proud of us even if we didn't have all that stuff blow up,” says Luke. “She’d just want us to be happy,” adds Daniel.
“She reminded us every day how proud she was of us and made sure we’d stick together and love each other and be kind to people. If she was here physically, she’d probably be going over the top and letting the whole world know how proud she was,” says Luke.
The Yiayia Next Door cookbook is now. A percentage of the book sales will be donated to the .
Greek expectations
How to eat like you're on the Greek island 'where people forget to die'
