When tragedy led to Daniel and Luke Mancuso meeting Yiayia Next Door, little did they know their connection would inspire a cookbook.
I first met the famous "Yiayia Next Door" in May 2019 after getting in touch with brothers Daniel and Luke Mancuso through their Instagram account, having watched videos of their elderly Greek neighbour sharing her cooking with them. I soon found out there was a lot more to the story.
I had the same question as many of their fans when I first watched Daniel and Luke's viral videos: who are these guys?
The videos showed Yiayia's hands reaching over an unassuming steel fence to deliver a platter, plate or dish. The food could be chicken and rice, or a warm pot of lentil soup. Whatever it was, Yiayia's home cooking looked so tasty you could almost smell it through the screen.
"Thank you, Yiayia" was how the brothers always responded, calling her "grandmother" in Greek.
When they started posting videos of the meals Yiayia shared with them, via their Instagram account Yiayia Next Door, Daniel and Luke had no idea how big it would become.
I was working as a newspaper journalist, so my editor at the time asked me to check out how the relationship had started. "There's a bit more to this that we'd like to share," Daniel told me when I reached out to him.
Yiayia's hospitality was extended to me as soon as I got to the brothers' house in Melbourne's northern suburbs to record an interview.
I walked through her bountiful vegie garden, commenting on the flourishing lemon tree and dried chillies hanging from the roof. She gave me bags full of both to take home later.
The Age's photographer, Joe Armao, took Yiayia's photo, but she did not want to be named or have her face included in the frame. "Not the face!" she said repeatedly. She didn't really see what the fuss was about.
Inside was a plate of spanakopita – flaky pastry stuffed with spinach and cheese – to eat with our morning coffee as the brothers told me what had unfolded one night several years earlier.
Their mother, Teresa Mancuso, died in a violent attack in the house she had lived in with her family for several decades. It was her Greek neighbour who heard her cries for help and called the police, but it was too late. The boys' father was convicted of the murder.
After Teresa's death, Daniel and Luke moved into their mother's former home, and Yiayia quickly took the boys under her wing. She regularly sent food to the house and they became family to her. "She was just trying to be like a mum for us, or a nonna or yiayia," Daniel says.
Often, Daniel and Luke would come home from work wondering what to have for dinner and they'd get a phone call from their adoptive Yiayia or Pappou (grandfather).
"I love to cook," she says. "Whenever I do, I cook extra."
It's in her genes, she says, to feed them. "And their Pappou too, he likes them to eat. Him more than me, I think."
While Yiayia loves to cook for them, the boys like to help her out too. They are happy to drive to the local market to pick up groceries or fill up the petrol tank in Pappou's lawnmower. Yiayia even taught Luke the best way to grow tomatoes.
When they started posting videos of the meals Yiayia shared with them, via their Instagram account Yiayia Next Door, Daniel and Luke had no idea how big it would become. The story was one of the most read on The Age's website all year and won the 2019 Melbourne Press Club feature writing award.
And now the story, which began with tragedy followed by one woman's incredible act of kindness, has become a collection of recipes from Yiayia's kitchen, including Luke's favourite, Yiayia's chicken and rice.
They hope people get enjoyment out of making meals they themselves are lucky enough to eat regularly, or maybe they'll even drop some around to their own neighbours.
Daniel and Luke want their story to encourage people to connect with their neighbours. Focusing on the positives and having fun is the best way to achieve this, they believe.
"It has been big for us because we're living in this home. We didn't have Nonna in here, we didn't have Mum," says Luke. "That sense of warmth and gathering has changed our lives."
Tom Cowie
Yiayia's family love this dish and often ask her to make it for them. Yiayia is always happy to cook food for others. The paprika makes the rice a deep red colour, while the chilli flakes give the dish a hint of spice.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
Serves 4-6
This dish is very close to Yiayia's heart, as it was taught to her by our mum, Teresa. Like Yiayia, mum had a fondness for cooking and, more importantly, for making sure we were always well fed and cared for. One of the many things we miss about our mum is her cooking. We are very fortunate that she passed this recipe on to Yiayia, so we can still enjoy it to this day and help fill the void in our hearts.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
Serves 4
Yiayia receives many requests from her children and their friends for her famous meatballs. They are loved and devoured by everyone and it's almost impossible to stop at just one or two.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
Serves 4-6
When Yiayia's mother visited Australia, she taught her daughter this simple baklava recipe from their village back home. Yiayia still makes it to this day. It holds a special place in her heart.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
Makes about 22
Note For extra yumminess, drizzle honey over the baklava and serve with vanilla ice-cream.
This is an edited extract from Yiayia Next Door by Daniel & Luke Mancuso (with Yiayia), published by Plum, photography by Mark Roper, RRP $36.99. Buy now