“Fudge-It,” Mary Pat Clarke

ByKara
Homemade chocolate fudge pieces dusted with cocoa powder on white plate with decorative napkin

Writing about contemporary politicians invites commentary on grievances, which makes me hesitate to make these kinds of recipes. As a resident of Baltimore, it is hard to imagine how history will look from the future. I imagine some more objective version of myself reading over these accomplishments and failures, but honestly, even Baltimore politics of the 70s and 80s leave me a little bewildered.

Still, if constituent services is any measure of a councilperson’s effectiveness then there is little debating that Mary Pat Clarke had a long and successful career. A Baltimore Sun article about her December 2020 retirement belabored that point. A summary of her political career was bracketed with statements about how she would be remembered most for “fixing prosaic problems for residents.” Filling potholes and restoring streetlights is pretty uncontroversial.

Clarke was born Providence, Rhode Island in 1941. After earning degrees from Immaculata College and the University of Pennsylvania, she ended up in Baltimore with her family in the late 60s. According to a Sun article from when she was elected President of the Greater Homewood Community Corporation in 1971, Clarke then lived with her four children in the Tuscany-Canterbury neighborhood.

After her election to Greater Homewood Community Corporation, Clarke was a regular fixture in the Baltimore Sun’s local news pages. GHCC operated a children’s summer day camp, organized Youth Corp cleanups of Wyman Park, and organized programming for Greater Homewood’s senior citizens.

Clarke’s husband J. Joseph Clarke had been a delegate who lost his seat to Joseph R. Raymond. In 1975, Mary Pat beat out Raymond for the New Democratic Club endorsement for city council. The Sun covered the endorsement as a bit of revenge. J. Joseph Clarke went on to be a developer in Baltimore. His company is responsible for many projects, including the demolition of the historic Southern Hotel.

After winning the council race, Mary Pat’s career in Baltimore City Politics lasted 45 more years. Those years included a mayoral run, work on various committees, two stints as Council President (and an earlier failed campaign for that office), a clash with the Harborplace Hooters, and various bills and stances, some worthy and some ill-advised. Which are which is up to your own discretion.

Mrs. Clarke with children John, Susan, Erin and Jeuny in garden, unofficial mayor of community with 44,444 residents
The Evening Sun, 1973. Caption: “MRS. CLARKE—With John, Susan, Erin and Jenny”

I once spoke to Mary Pat Clarke and mentioned that I had seen this recipe, for “Fudge-It,” in “Good things are Cooking in Greater Homewood,” a cookbook produced in 1973 by the GHCC. She professed to not be much of a cook. I have to admit this fudge recipe isn’t the most magical, fudgey candy around, but hey – its in the name.

There is an earlier Charles Village Cookbook, from 1972, “Once Upon a Thyme in Charles Village.” That book contains a recipe for “Grandmother Clarke’s Sour Beef & Dumplings.” Clearly that would be a more meaningful, representative recipe, but sometimes the chips fall where they may in my kitchen.

Having lived in Waverly and then Remington gave me many occasions to witness her best attempts to defend citizens’ concerns, especially as Remington became the site of a lot of new development and changes.

My database has many many recipes from politicians, from racist ole James Preston to Barbara Mikulski to Elijah Cummings. Some are incidental, others are put forth as campaign propaganda. This throwaway recipe is certainly the former. Baltimore politicians don’t really need to pass out recipes when there are so many potholes to fill.

Recipe:

Baking ingredients for fudge recipe including sugar container, cocoa powder, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and butter in small bowl
  • 2 Cup sugar
  • .5 Cup milk
  • .5 Teaspoon salt
  • 2 Teaspoon (heaping) cornstarch
  • 2 Tablespoons cocoa
  • butter the size of an egg

MELT all ingredients together slowly while mixing. Boil hard for TWO MINUTES, stirring constantly. Add: 1 tsp. vanilla. BEAT until thick. POUR into greased pan. Refrigerate. Serve when hardened.

Recipe adapted from “Good things are Cooking in Greater Homewood,” 1973, Greater Homewood Community Corporation

Melted chocolate being stirred with a whisk in a saucepan on stovetop for homemade fudge recipe
Homemade fudge in dark baking pan, chocolate dessert recipe from Mary Pat Clarke
Homemade chocolate fudge squares cut into pieces on parchment paper from Mary Pat Clarke's Fudge-It recipe

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