Yiayia Next Door: Recipes from Yiayia’s Kitchen, and the True Story of One Woman’s Incredible Act of Kindness

Gestures of neighborly love give rise to soulful recipes in this collection of Greek comfort foods. In the family home where their mother’s life was tragically cut short by domestic violence when they were young, the Australian brothers were the beneficiaries of pastries, soups, and casseroles passed over the fence by a neighbor they called yiayia (“grandmother” in Greek). Here, they share her recipes and their “Mum’s,” as well as memories of their own Greek heritage cuisine. While the classics are covered in recipes that often draw upon vegetables fresh from the brothers’ backyard garden (eggs with peppers, spanakopita, avgolemono soups), there are novelties, too, like lamb racks glazed with a strawberry jam and red wine sauce. Though “yiayia” prefers to keep her identity private, step-by-step photos show her hands working translucent filo dough for cheese pie, and braiding Easter bread. Her kitchen tips, meanwhile, reflect a no-fuss, no-waste sensibility: home cooks are encouraged to wash and reuse foil and zip-top bags, while excess chilies from the garden are strung together and hung to dry. Cooking recipes like their Mum’s cannelloni “helps fill a void in our hearts,” the Mancusos say, and their book is sure to do the same for others. This delivers the goods on every level. (Sept.)