A guide to the tastiest prospects in this year’s edition of The Book and the Cook.

It can't snow forever, and if you get by the Ides of March, the vernal equinox will occur a few days later. Then there's another important March event to anticipate -- the annual Book and the Cook event, which will run from March 14 through March 23.

Yes, the "Fabulous Invalid" will be back in all its glory, despite the fact that every year I predict its impending demise. (Never ask me for a stock tip.) I've had many reservations about it in the past, because I felt that it was not a true test of the visiting cookbook authors' recipes, and also because I felt that most of the writers who came did not trust Philadelphia's chefs to do things the right way, and so turned out menus that were embarrassingly simple.

Last year, things seemed to be turning around. I recall meals at Opus 251, Zanzibar Blue and Panorama that were a delight. The writers and chefs did mingle with the guests, and the menus surely tested the chefs' mettle.

This year's recipient of the 13th KitchenAid Philadelphia Toque Award will be John Mariani, an eminent food and wine writer who has always been a fan of Philadelphia's restaurants. In his words: "Two decades ago, the city's restaurant scene could be summed up in a few lines. By the mid-'90s, Philadelphia could hold its own against any American city of its size. Nothing I've seen in recent years has changed that assessment."

What looks especially good on this year's list? Here's a day-by-day list of promising repasts.

Fri., Mar. 14

Kicking off the fair as usual is "A Taste of the Market," a benefit for the Greater Philadelphia Food Bank at the Reading Terminal Market. You can meet the authors and sample many of the regional and international delicacies that make the Terminal one of the greatest markets in the U.S. At dinnertime, David and Karen Waltuck of New York's Chanterelle will do a meal at Opus 251 that'll be wonderful, I'm sure (I went last year). Lin Chin Chen at Susanna Foo is always a sell-out: He's the chef whose recipes inspired the food in the film Eat, Drink, Man, Woman. But I might opt to try Chez Colette, where New Orleans-based chef Dominique Macquet will be cooking. He's a Frenchman raised in Mauritius, so this meal should fuse any number of interesting cuisines.

"A Taste of the Market," 12th and Arch sts., 215-739-7394. Opus 251, The Art Alliance, 251 S. 18th St., 215-735-6787. Susanna Foo, 1512 Walnut St., 215-545-2666. Chez Colette, Sofitel Philadelphia, 120 S. 17th St., 215-569-8300.

Sat., March 15

Lunch is stellar on Saturday: Daniel Boulud at The Fountain in the Four Seasons, David Burke at Lacroix and Edouard Loubet at Le Bec-Fin. But I might save myself for dinner with Matthew Kenney at Rouge 2003. A star of four New York restaurants, Commune being his latest, Kenney always has something exciting in store. Then, too, Piero Selvaggio of Valentino in L.A. will be at Toto. It's a hard choice.

Fountain Restaurant, Four Seasons, One Logan Sq., 215-963-1500. Lacroix at the Rittenhouse, 210 W. Rittenhouse Sq., 215-790-2533. Le Bec-Fin, 1523 Walnut St., 215-567-1000. Rouge 2003, 205 S. 18th St., 215-732-6622. Toto, 1407 Locust St., 215-546-2000.

Sun., March 16

Jennifer Felicia Abadi is offering an interesting dinner of Sephardic cuisine tonight at the Gershman Y, and Michael Romano of Union Square Café in NYC is at Zanzibar Blue. But I might try something offbeat and go to Shivnanda Fine Indian Cuisine to taste the cooking of Cyrus Todiwala.

Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St., 215-446-3027. Zanzibar Blue, The Bellevue, 200 S. Broad St., 215-732-4500. Shivnanda, 114 Chestnut St., 215-925-1444.

Mon., March 17

The top choice for tonight: Brasserie Perrier. Edouard Loubet will cook the food of Provence's Luberon region, where his restaurant, Le Moulin de Lourmarin, has one star. He and Brasserie's Chris Scarduzio should make a symbiotic team.

Tue., March 18

A little quiet. Zarela Martinez will be at Zocalo, but I'd opt for Jeremiah Tower at Striped Bass. He's a pioneer in California/New American cuisine, and he'll likely do great things with Terence Feury.

Zocalo, 3604 Lancaster Ave., 215-895-0139. Striped Bass, 1500 Walnut St., 215-732-4444.

Wed., March 19

The esteemed John Mariani comes to Avenue B. His knowledge of Italian food is encyclopedic, so this should be an awesome meal. Joyce White (Brown Sugar) brings her soul food expertise to Warmdaddy's, but I think I might pick Boston's Jody Adams at Fork. Ellen Yin and Roberto Sella of Fork always manage to find winning combinations.

Avenue B, 260 S. Broad St., 215-790-0705. Warmdaddy's, 4 S. Front St., 215-627-8400. Fork, 306 Market St., 215-625-9425.

Thu., March 20

More hard choices. Seattle's Tom Douglas will share his expertise with chef Steve Latona at The Happy Rooster, and Micol Negrin, author of Rustico: Regional Italian Country Cooking, comes to Moonstruck in place of Viana LaPlace (La Bella Cucina), who had to cancel due to a family illness. Patricia Yeo of NYC's AZ will shine at the Ritz-Carlton Grill, but I think I'd go for Norman Van Aken, the chief honcho of Florida/Caribbean cuisine, who will cook with Guillermo Pernot at ¡Pasion!.

Happy Rooster, 118 S. 16th St., 215-963-9311. Moonstruck, 7955 Oxford Ave., 215-725-6000. Ritz Grill, 10 S. Broad St., 215-735-7700. ºPasion!, 211 S. 15th St., 215-875-9895.

Fri., March 21

A day for drinking, what with Andrea Immer discussing wines at the Ritz and Michael Jackson matching beers with foods at Penn's Museum of Archeology and Anthropology. At Passerelle, dieters can connect with Scott Uehlein of the Canyon Ranch Spa -- supposedly home to "the top spa food in the U.S."

The Pantheon at the Ritz, 10 S. Broad St., 215-735-7700. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 33rd and Spruce sts., 215-898-2680. Restaurant Passerelle, 175 King of Prussia Rd., Radnor, 610-293-9411.

Sat., March 22

Margaret Johnson of The New Irish Table will join chef Scott Larson at Tir Na Nóg for a truly interesting meal. But I'm intrigued by two Cary Neffs -- one the chef/owner of Sansom Street Oyster House, the other (scheduled to appear on Oprah this month) from the Miraval Resort in Arizona. They should do some exciting things with sea critters.

Tir Na Nóg, The Phoenix, 1600 Arch St., 267-514-1700. Sansom Street Oyster House, 1516 Sansom St., 215-567-7683.

Sun., March 23

If you can still eat, Lidia Bastianich, the famous Italian writer and restaurateur, will make beautiful music with Dominique Filoni at Savona. Don Pintabona from the Tribeca Grill, whose food we enjoyed last year, will return, this time to Bleu, and at Little Fish, Kitty Morse will lavish her knowledge of Moroccan/Sephardic cuisine on the few customers this restaurant can hold.

Savona, 100 Old Gulph Rd., Gulph Mills, 610-520-1200. Bleu, Sheraton Rittenhouse Square, 227 S. 18th St., 215-545-0342. Little Fish, 600 Catharine St., 215-413-3464.