[Sca-cooks] Substitutions... how do we know?

[Lilinah]

We sometimes discuss how to figure out how to make substitutions in 
period recipes when we don't have an ingredient.

Some folks believe we need to study the recipes and cookbooks of the 
time. Others feel confident that they can make appropriate 
substitutions without having to make an exhaustive study.

Only a select and rare few recipes actually tell the cook what to substitute.

So...

Below is an SCA-period recipe, translated into modern English, with 
the title removed and broken into steps (all i did was remove words 
like "and" and "then").

The original notes two substitutions - which i've removed. Please 
suggest what would be appropriate substitutions. After a few days 
i'll reveal what the cookbook actually said.

I'm curious to see if people actually get close. I can honestly say 
that i probably wouldn't have thought of at least one of the items, 
and probably not the other, either.

If you recognize the recipe, please DO NOT cheat and post the correct 
answer, but sit on your hands and let someone else take the risk. And 
please do not cross-post - i'm sending this to 4 lists, and i'd like 
to have listees on each list come up with their own suggestions...

----- The Recipe -----

Fry the chicken with lard and with onions.
Chop unpeeled almonds and temper them with sour and sweet pomegranate 
juice and strain them well.
Mix a little water with sugar and spices.
Put this to boil for a little with the said chicken, and mix well 
with a wooden spoon, and put mixed spices above.
If you don't have almonds [substitute]
If you don't have pomegranate [substitute]

----------------------------

Thanks for playing :-)
-- 
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita

My LibraryThing
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/lilinah