In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, salt, pepper, sugar, garlic powder and baking powder. Pour in melted shortening and boiling water, and stir until batter is homogenous. It should be loose.

Wrapping up the trilogy series of turn-of-the-year essentials, one mustn’t skip the bread! Cornbread, to be precise. If you never make another recipe for the rest of the year, put this one in your ...