Frying and saut ing steaks, fish, and other foods in a skillet may seem to be a simple procedure, but there are enough variations and subtleties to make it interesting. It's a hands-on, special kind of cooking in which success often depends more on technique, skill, and tender-loving care than on a complicated recipe with a long list of ingredients. In The Curmudgeon's Book of Skillet Cooking, A. D. Livingston demonstrates that...