Cooking & Recipes Glossary: D

daikon radish: Vegetable used in Japanese cuisine that looks like a giant white carrot and has a refreshingly sharp taste.

dashi konbu: Dried kelp that resembles broad, leathery, wrinkly ribbon.

deglaze: To add liquid, usually wine or broth, to a hot skillet or roasting pan that has browned bits of cooked foods clinging to the bottom of the pan. These browned bits are then scraped up, and the liquid reduced and seasoned to create a pan sauce.

demi-glace: A rich, brown sauce made by boiling down meat stock until it’s reduced to a thick glaze that can coat a spoon.

devil’s food: A rich dessert made with chocolate or cocoa, and baking soda.

dice: To cut into small (1/8-inch to 1/4-inch) cubes.

dill: An herb with a delicate caraway flavor; sold as fresh bunches or dried seeds.

dim sum: Small, sweet or savory morsels that traditionally accompany morning tea in China; food served at a traditional Chinese brunch.

dolce: Italian for “sweet.” Traditionally, the end of an Italian meal, involving some sort of dessert.

double boiler: A nested pot where the bottom pot is filled with just enough water so that the top portion doesn’t touch it. A double boiler cooks with steam that never goes above water’s boiling point, 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

dredge: To coat the surface of a food by dragging it through flour, cornmeal, or crumbs.

drumstick: The lower half of a leg of cooked poultry.

Dutch oven: A large, enamel or cast-iron all-around stewpot.