The bits that are dry, is not cooking (8)
I believe the answer is:
sections
'the bits' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both man-made objects as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'are dry is not cooking' is the wordplay.
'are dry' becomes 'sec' (similar in meaning).
'cooking' is an anagram indicator (letters cooked up into a new form).
'is'+'not'='isnot'
'isnot' anagrammed gives 'tions'.
'sec'+'tions'='SECTIONS'
'that' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for sections that I've seen before include "Divisions, parts" , "Divisions, segments" .)