Pete wrote:
>
> But she gave me the cash to get a "perfect" frying pan.
> Any suggestions?

In general there's no such thing as perfect because each specific
application has a different perfect. Get a cast iron skillet.
Once it's been properly seasoned it's as close to nonstick as you
can get without fancy chemicals. Get one with fancy chemicals
for stuff you want to slide around in it.

> I do have a nice big SS expensive frying pan. Tried to cook a few
> things and they stuck bad... any suggestions on this?

You have confused stick resistant with non-stick. If you drop a
steak into a stick resistant pan and turn it over, the steak is
*supposed* to stay in the pan. But then allow the steak to cook
naturally at its own pace, and buy the time your supposed to flip
it, it will have naturally released from the pan. That's what
stick resistant means. Don't flip too often, don't overuse the
spatula.

OR you're cooking with far too much heat. Having used cheap pans
folks get used to using far too much heat. Then they switch to
better more conductive pans and they don't remember to turn down
the fire.