Nougat is a chewy nut confection with roots back in the Roman Empire, only more likely first crafted in what is now Turkey and Greece rather than Italy. In my early days as a pastry cook, I remember wanting to master this challenging mixture of hot sugar and honey that bind nuts and fruit within its mortar-like consistency. The other night, I put my hand to it again, using  excess egg whites from a seasonal panettone mix. Boiling sugar and honey, thermometer in hand, I added into the whipped egg whites and a mash of toasted nuts. Then I rolled and cut the nougat, and later when it cooled and hardened, I enjoyed the delicious chew.