There are basically three ways to do this:  on a grill, on a gas burner, or in your oven.  The oven is the cleanest and easiest way to go, but I like the smoky flavor that comes via the grill and the gas-burner methods.

 If you are using a gas burner or a grill, simply cook a whole bell pepper till the skin is charred black.  Use a pair of tongs to move the rotate the pepper every minute or two to get a nice even charring and to prevent it from burning.

If you are using an oven, simply place whole peppers on a cookie sheet and pop them in an oven pre-heated to 400 DEGREES for about 10 minutes.

THE NEXT STEP is to take your cooked peppers and place them in a brown paper bag.  This enables the flesh of the pepper to further steam and caramelize.

After ten minutes in the bag, remove your peppers and OVER THE SINK peel away all of the skin--the burnt and charred bits.  You'll probably need some towels to help.  I try to avoid rinsing in water...save the delicious juices of the peppers.  At some poin the pepper will probably split open spilling the seeds...the stem might fall off to.  NO worries.

When you have the skins removed, simply slice up the flesh and ENJOY!  This is great in salad, rolled up and skewered with goat cheese, cherry tomaotes, etc.  ROASTED BELL PEPPERS are fantastically delicious and can last in a refrigerator for a long time.

YUM YUM!