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CLEAN CUISINE BY GINA
Gina D’Orazio-Stryker the renowned chef behind Clean Cuisine by Gina. PHOTO COURTESY OF GINA D’ORAZIO-STRYKER
A Hollywood Ending
By April Neale
Curated vegetarian and omnivore meals arriving directly to your door might seem like something out of the Hollywood hills, but, thanks to Gina D’Orazio-Stryker, it is now within Idaho’s reach. Her company, Clean Cuisine By Gina, offers an array of crudites and dips as well as full entrees, desserts and more that each subscriber can tailor specifically to their desires. The food is portioned and packaged in her commercial kitchen and delivered once weekly.
D’Orazio-Stryker, a native Idahoan and mother to two sets of twins, grew up in Challis. “My paternal grandfather cooked for Bing Crosby and Dean Martin. My uncle cooked for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip,” D’Orazio-Stryker said. “I’m a fourth-generation chef.”
D’Orazio-Stryker’s culinary education began in Florence, Italy, where, she says, her heart remains. “But, after culinary school, I met Frank Marshall who started my career in the film industry,” she said. Marshall, a prolific director and producer with Amblin Entertainment, convinced D’Orazio-Stryker to work for him, where she spent many years as a production coordinator.
On the 1993 set of Alive, D’Orazio-Stryker’s worlds collided when Marshall asked her to cook dinner for him and all the actors after learning that she’d gone to cooking school before embarking on a career in film. “I cooked for all of them. That was my first time feeding a large group of people,” she said.
Now, D’Orazio-Stryker has returned to Boise with a new business post-COVID. Before the pandemic, her soup business, called Gina Cucina, had soups in over a thousand stores, including Whole Foods, Gelson’s, Costco, and Albertsons.
Clean Cuisine by Gina was born two years after COVID forced her to pivot. Meals are prepared in D’Orazio-Stryker’s commercial kitchen using ingredients from local producers. Her home delivery is easy to customize with price options and selections, including vegetarian and omnivore weekly menus. Customers may also opt for the “Build Your Own Bag” from the weekly menu, which allows for extra items to be added to your order.
“I wanted to be creative again in the kitchen and work closely with the farmers and the ranchers, which I get to do every week,” D’Orazio-Stryker said.
Her vendors, some of Idaho’s best purveyors, include Acme Bakery, Purple Sage Farms, LBE Wagyu, and more. In addition to home delivery, D’Orazio-Stryker has big plans.
“I am looking for a place to buy to build my kitchen right now. The front end will be a farm store—all the vendors can sell their products year-round,” said D’Orazio-Stryker. “I want to do cooking classes. There’s so many possibilities!"
