20 of the most relaxing reality TV shows to watch right now

18. Barefoot Contessa

If HGTV has at least one corner of the relaxing reality TV market, then the Food Network surely has another wide swath of its own. Think about it: what’s more relaxing than watching someone calmly and skillfully prepare a delicious meal? Even if you’re just a budding cook with more than a few burned dishes in your past, you can settle in and chill out to this.

One of the most relaxing and aspirational shows on all of the Food Network has to be Barefoot Contessa. Each episode follows host and chef Ina Garten as she prepares a meal for her husband, friends, and other visitors. Garten specializes in French cuisine and fresh foods, though she’s also featured a variety of other cooking styles and dishes in her long-running show.

With all of the freshly plucked herbs, soft lighting, and sensible yet well-made clothes, this is aspirational cooking at its height. Most episodes are filmed in Garten’s East Hampton home, in one of the tonier neighborhoods on New York’s Long Island. There are flowers everywhere, typically supplied by her florist friend, Michael. And, of course, many hold up Garten’s relationship with her husband, Jerry, as a paragon of gentle amiability and affection, fueled by darn good food.

Since Barefoot Contessa has over two hundred episodes, picking through them can be a daunting task. Maybe it doesn’t entirely matter, given that relaxing reality television has a very comforting sort of sameness. Still, if you want a few good places to start, check out this list containing some of the episodes that epitomize that Barefoot Contessa experience.