Padma Lakshmi And Boursin Want To Ease Your Post-COVID Party Stress

If the prospect of throwing your first pandemic-era dinner party intimidates you, you're not alone. According to a recent poll conducted by The Harris Poll and Boursin Cheese (via a press release from the company), 60% of at-home entertainers are hesitant to resume hosting duties. To help ease the entertaining stress, the spreadable cheese brand is partnering with one of the food world's biggest stars on a new culinary venture that aims to embolden consumers to get back on the hosting horse. 

In the same release, Boursin announced the debut of Maison Boursin, a curated entertaining experience that will take place both online and in-person in New York City on June 17–18. The Maison Boursin pop-up will be held in a redesigned home and will provide cheese-fueled inspiration for easy, and enjoyable entertaining.

To bring Maison Boursin to life, Boursin partnered with "Top Chef" host and culinary expert Padma Lakshmi, who has been named the cheese brand's official "Host in Residence." In addition to providing her entertaining expertise, Lakshmi also developed a duo of cheesy recipes for the Maison Boursin site: Padma's Roasted Figs au Boursin and Padma's Boursin e Pepe, a French-ified twist on a classic Cacio e Pepe.

"Hosting doesn't have to be intimidating, and I'm looking forward to helping home cooks rediscover the joy of creating memorable moments with loved ones over a shared meal or dish," says Lakshmi. "I'm excited to share some recipes I've created with Boursin that make entertaining stress-free, crave-able, and fun."

Boursin, which was created nearly 60 years ago in a small cheese factory in Normandy, France, can now be found in grocery stores in more than 130 countries around the world (via the company's website). With its latest buzzy project, the long-standing dairy brand hopes to inspire cheese lovers to host gatherings and parties with friends and family again. 

"After an uncertain few years, it's time to get back to brunches, movie nights, and impromptu dinners with the people we love," says Boursin brand director Jamee Pearlstein in a press release. He says Boursin is "helping hosts regain their confidence and remember everything they love about hosting friends and family without any added stress."

The immersive Maison Boursin pop-up will feature tastings of Boursin-centric bites and drinks, tips and tricks for entertaining, and a tour of the Maison's rooms, which were designed by Lakshmi to display various inspirational set-ups for at-home entertaining. Cheese enthusiasts can book a 60-minute visit to the Maison Boursin pop-up via OpenTable beginning on May 25, for $20 per person with all proceeds donated to charity.

Later this summer, the brand will also be releasing a digital guide to hosting created in partnership with the "Taste the Nation" host. Cheese lovers outside of New York City can get a taste of the pop-up now via the Maison Boursin website.