grazie Steven!

"Cuocere" refers to the actual act of something transitioning from the state of being raw to the state of being cooked. For example, you would use cuocere in this context: "the hamburger meat cooked too fast on the high heat". Cucinare, on the other hand, is used to refer to the act of cooking or preparing a meal. Like, "I cooked breakfast earlier than usual this morning." Cuocere: La carne deve cuocere a fuco lento. Il sole mi cuoce la pelle oggi. (Here it is used in a slightly figurative sense, that the sun is "cooking your skin" because it is so hot. Cucinare: Mi piace cucinare più di qualsiasi altra cosa. // Ieri ho cucinato la cena per mia madre.