You don't have to live in the South to enjoy the tradition of Southern hospitality. While much of the South has grown and changed, a warm welcome is a Southern tradition that remains. True Southern hosts and hostesses will usually have sweet tea at the ready, along with a "little something" to offer unexpected guests. And for Sunday supper (which is the midday meal), many families still enjoy a feast of fried chicken, biscuits and a bevy of vegetables and sides.

This month's menu highlights some old Southern favorites with an updated twist, and features traditional Southern foods including peaches, fried chicken, pecans and peanuts.

Our meal begins with elegant Mini Catfish Cakes with Peachy Tartar Sauce. The Catfish Cakes are followed by an old-fashioned Iceberg Wedge Salad with Blue-Ranch Dressing. The main course takes Southern fried chicken in a more elegant direction, as boneless, skinless chicken breast halves are fried and topped with a sweet and slightly spicy honey-pecan sauce. Baked Rice is the perfect accompaniment. Other fitting side dishes would be sautéed grape or cherry tomatoes, roasted petite green beans or slow-simmered Southern collard greens.

Dessert is a family favorite - Frozen Peanut Butter Pie, topped with a drizzle of warm chocolate sauce and melted peanut butter.

Recipes:

	Quick Spinach, Corn and Black Bean Bake I’m always at a loss when looking for a vegetable side dish to serve with Mexican fare so I developed this recipe for Quick Spinach, Corn and Black Bean Bake when planning to teach a Southwestern cooking class.
	Baked Rice Rice is the perfect accompaniment to everything from a big bowl of gumbo to beef stew to fried chicken. And this recipe for Baked Rice makes the side extremely simple to prepare.
	Fried Chicken Breasts with Honey Pecan Sauce Nothing can beat crisp fried chicken topped with this luscious Honey Pecan Sauce. This simple combination of honey, chopped pecans, Creole mustard and a shot of Tabasco makes the chicken a stand-out.
	Frozen Peanut Butter Pie With the help of your Viking stand mixer, this Southern classic is a snap to prepare. Garnishing this simple pie with chocolate sauce and melted peanut butter makes it extra special.