However, I am persistent, so I work out feverishly on exercise equipment, sweating profusely so that I can rationalize a lifestyle that only Orson Welles might have considered moderate.

I feel compelled to mention this because, as you can probably guess, I spend a considerable amount of time thinking about food and wine. Today, I am going to provide you with a recipe that is so delicious you won't mind working out just so you can justify having it on a regular basis.

Someone once said that necessity is the mother of invention, so, as I rummaged around in the pantry and refrigerator looking for culinary inspiration, I stumbled upon a few ingredients and came up with a delicious meal idea. I call it Smoky Salmon Pasta.

For more on wine appreciation, see the WineBoy blog at thegazz.com.

Smoky Salmon Pasta

Serves 6

 1 red bell pepper

 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

 1 clove of chopped garlic

 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

 1 chopped jalapeño pepper

 1/2 cup dry white wine

 1/4 cup half-and-half

 1 cup of chicken broth

 1/4 pound of smoked salmon (see note)

 1 pound of farfalle pasta (bow-ties)

PUT a fork in the red pepper and roast it over the burner on the stove turning it until the skin begins to blacken.

PLACE the pepper in a small paper bag and allow to sit for about 20 minutes. Then peel it, discard the seeds and chop into half-inch pieces.

PLACE in a large sauté pan olive oil, jalapeño and garlic and lightly cook until the veggies are soft.

ADD the chicken broth, white wine and cook on moderate heat until liquid is reduced by one-third. Remove the pan from the burner and add the red pepper and salmon.

BOIL the farfalle in salted water until al dente (about 10 minutes).

PLACE the sauté pan back on the burner, add the pasta, and the half-and-half. Season with salt and pepper and toss all ingredients. Add the cilantro and serve.

Note: You may use any smoked salmon that is readily available, but I prefer to get mine from Joe's Fish Market in Charleston (304-342-7827). The good folks at Joe's brine and then "cold smoke" their salmon over apple wood, and it is fabulous. It's also great as an appetizer with a good pinot noir, such as the 2006 Evesham Wood from Oregon.

Wine recommendations for Smoky Salmon Pasta

This meal needs a full-bodied white wine. I love it with the Falcor chardonnay, which is a rich, oaky mouthful of wine that marries nicely with the spicy, smoky flavors of the dish. You might also try the L'Ecole No. 41 Semillon from Washington state, which is ripe and round with good balancing acidity.