[NEWS] BIG ZUU TURNS FESTIVE LEFTOVERS INTO A DIVERSE RANGE OF FEASTS WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM AI
Rapper and chef Big Zuu, is demonstrating how AI, can help Brits Mix It Up and help them make the most of their leftovers and plan their cooking this Christmas. Alongside this, Big Zuu will also showcase fun and simple examples of how to use Gemini this Christmas to help with planning in a variety of ways.
With many of us set to overbuy food in preparation for the big day, Brits celebrating Christmas can use Gemini to generate exciting new recipes and combinations based on the ingredients they still have in the fridge and cupboard, in turn alleviating the culinary stress felt over the holidays.
This follows new research revealing that almost half of Brits (44%) have over-bought food ‘just in case’ at Christmas – often the product of festive FORO – and nearly a third (30%) say they struggle to know what to do with their leftovers. It’s clear that Brits could use some creative inspiration in the kitchen after Christmas Day too, with less than half (4 in 10) saying that they experiment with new recipes over the Twixmas period.
Out of the most common Christmas leftovers, Turkey came up top, closely followed by potatoes and vegetables, with the top five leftover ingredients as follows:
- Turkey – 48%
- Potatoes – 36%
- Vegetables – 34%
- Stuffing – 26%
- Cheese – 25%
Nearly half (46.7%) of Gen Z (16-24 year olds) also struggle to know what to do with their food leftovers between Christmas and New Year – compared to a third or 30% of all adults. Those tired of cooking the same old food at Christmas are already turning to the internet (44%), cookbooks (33.3%) and family and friends (33%) to be more creative.
Outside of recipes, AI can also help Brits ‘mix up’ any part of their planning for this Christmas, from recommending creative gifts for family and friends, to generating unique decoration and tablescaping ideas, or simply helping organise the cooking. This is helpful, given over a quarter (27%) of all Brits say they would be willing to try using AI to plan their Christmas dinner or use their leftovers after the big day.
Mix it up this Christmas
Known for his passion for food and cooking, Big Zuu has joined forces with Google to create his ultimate Twixmas menu of exciting and unique meals all featuring the most common leftover festive foods, using Gemini. These dishes will help inspire the nation to think creatively about their Christmas leftovers and improve their planning over the Christmas period:
Turkey and Stuffing Pinwheels
- Spread stuffing on turkey slices, roll them up, and secure with toothpicks.
Mini Roast Potato Bites with Cheese and Chives
- Top leftover roast potatoes with cheese and chives, then bake until golden brown.
Brussels Sprouts Elote
- Roast your brussels sprouts with a sprinkle of chili powder, cumin, and a squeeze of lime. Top with a dollop of crema (or sour cream), crumbled cotija cheese, and a sprinkle of coriander.
Big Zuu’s Lebanese Potato and Cheese Fatayer (v)
- Fill filo pastry with mashed potatoes, cheese, and spices. Bake until golden brown.
Christmas Pud Bread Pudding (v) with Cranberry Sauce Ice Cream
- Cut the Christmas pudding into cubes and combine with bread, milk, eggs, sugar, and spices. Bake the mixture in a baking dish until golden brown.
- Blend the cranberry sauce with heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Rapper, TV personality and culinary expert Big Zuu, said: “For me, Christmas is all about the food, but let’s be honest, prepping meals and buying the right amount of ingredients for the big day can be a real headache – especially when you’re cooking for the family or all of your mates. Many of us experience ‘fear of running out’ and end up with a lot of leftovers and struggle to use them up creatively. Turkey sandwiches get old fast.
That’s why I’m so excited to team up with Google and show Brits how they can level up their festive leftover game with Gemini. Simply tell it what you’ve got in the fridge and what type of meal you’re looking to cook up, and boom – you’ll get AI-generated recipes that turn your Christmas scraps into gourmet grub. With some help from Big Zuu also shared his top tips for planning and cooking this Christmas:
1. Plan Smart, Shop Smart: Stress-free Christmas dinner planning? Sorted! Use Google’s AI, Gemini, before you hit the shops. Tell the app what you’re cooking and for how many people, and it willI work out exactly how much you need – so you don’t waste time… or food!
2. Don’t Skimp on the Spice: Christmas leftovers don’t have to taste boring. Spice things up with a raid on your spice rack, like chilli powder and cumin to transform leftover sprouts into spicy elote. Boom!
3. Mix up those Festive Leftovers: Bored with leftover turkey and sprouts? Remix them into something delicious with the help of Gemini. Take a picture of what you’ve got left in the cupboard or fridge and Gemini will deliver original and tasty meal inspiration. Genius. Think turkey tacos, cheesy potato fatayer, or festive veggie fried rice!
4. Veggies are King: Make your festive leftover veggies the star of the show in post-Christmas meals. Roast them, fry them, or blend them into a hearty soup for those cold winter mornings. A little love can transform even humble sprouts into something straight fire.
5. Use Gemini to be a Friendsmas Planning Pro: Need help planning a festive celebration with your mates? Gemini can easily assist you. Create a killer leftover menu, plan your table décor, and even get festive cocktail ideas through a few prompts in the app. Party pro status achieved.
The most wonderful – and often stressful – time of the year
Google’s new research also revealed that cooking is the most time-consuming, stressful and mundane part of planning Christmas for Brits (38%), followed by gift buying (31.9%) and wrapping (31%).*** This likely, in part, explains the prevalence of festive ‘FORO’ – the fear of running out of ingredients that leads to overbuying – experienced by a staggering half (55%) of Brits every year.***
Nearly half (46.7%) of Gen Z (16-24 year olds)**** also struggle to know what to do with their food leftovers between Christmas and New Year – compared to a third or 30% of all adults. Those tired of cooking the same old food at Christmas are already turning to the internet (44%), cookbooks (33.3%) and family and friends (33%) to be more creative.
Finally, the research also reveals the role that Gemini could play in helping Brits ‘mix up’ their festivities more generally. Over a quarter (27%) of all Brits say they would be willing to try using AI to plan their Christmas dinner or use leftovers after the big day, and nearly a quarter (24.8%) think it’s important to find new ways to celebrate Christmas – like trying out new recipes or traditions – something Gemini can help with.
