SPICES: Who's got the herb?

 Dried Mushroom O regano is an herb found in Italian, Greek and Mexican cuisines,but it's a relatively recent flavor for the American palate. It issaid to have been brought to the United States when soldiers camehome from World War II. They brought the herb and their appetite for dishes flavored withoregano. Now it is nearly synonymous with pizza and Italian pastasauces, and is frequently combined with basil and tomato. Mediterranean oregano is milder than the Mexican variety, which isused in spicy dishes, according to "The Food Lover's Companion."The stronger Mexican variety usually is found dried in Latinmarkets. Beyond its use as a pizza herb or a Mexican spice, there's a worldof dishes that use oregano, whether it is fresh or dried. Chef Laurent Tourondel, who is French-born and -trained, includesOregano-Breaded Tomatoes in his cookbook, "Bistro LaurentTourondel" (Wiley, $34.95). The dish goes well with leg of lamb,veal porterhouse and ribeye or strip steaks. The cookbook alsoincludes a recipe for Creamy Oregano Dressing using dried oregano. From the National Cattlemen's Beef Association comes the recipe forBeef, Sweet Pepper and Mushroom Kabobs seasoned with oregano, oliveoil, garlic and black pepper. It is served with a Cucumber Saucelaced with feta cheese. Oregano is a member of the marjoram family and the variety thatgrows in Greece is aromatic and richly flavorful. It is used inmeat and vegetable stews and casseroles, especially those withtomato sauce and eggplant and is the herb for an omelet. Cookbook author Rick Bayless sets the record straight about Mexicanoregano in "Mexican Everyday" (Norton, $29.95). The oregano-scentedmember of the large New World verbena family is sold in Mexicanmarkets in the whole-leaf and dried forms. Read the fine print onthe bottles to discover whether the contents are Mexican orMediterranean oregano. In Diana Kennedy's "The Art of Mexican Cooking" (Potter, $30),which was first published in 1989 and is now back in print, thereare several soup recipes using Mexican oregano, including MeatballSoup (Sopa de Albondigas) and Sopa Tarasca, which resemblestortilla soup. She also uses oregano for Barbacoa de Pollo orpit-barbecued chicken. That didn't stop me from using dried oregano in Cuban Black BeanStew from Lynne Rossetto Kasper's latest book, "The SplendidTable's How to Eat Supper," written with her producer, Sally Swift(Clarkson Potter, $35). The most interesting thing about thisrecipe was the addition of sherry vinegar instead of lime juice atthe end. It's an ingredient used in other Cuban recipes. (Kasper'sTABLE column moves as part of Scripps Howard News Service's weeklyfood package.) In addition, we tested Huevos Rancheros from "Cooking LightComplete Cookbook" (Oxmoor House, $34.95), calling for driedoregano (it made no distinction between Mediterranean or Mexican). Indeed, there's a world of recipes using oregano. BEEF, SWEET PEPPER AND MUSHROOM KABOBS 1 pound well-trimmed boneless beef top sirloin or beef tenderloinsteaks, cut 1-inch thick 8 ounces medium mushrooms 2 medium red, yellow or green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces Salt For the Cucumber sauce: 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1/3 cup finely chopped seeded cucumber 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese 1 clove minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon salt For the Seasoning: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oreganoleaves, crushed 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper Cut beefsteak into 1-1/4-inch pieces. Combine seasoning ingredientsin large bowl. Add beef, mushrooms and bell peppers; toss to coat.Alternately thread beef and vegetable pieces evenly onto eight12-inch metal skewers, leaving a small space between pieces. Place kabobs on rack in broiler pan so surface of beef is 3 to 4inches from heat. Broil 9 to 12 minutes for medium rare to mediumdoneness, turning once. Season kabobs with salt as desired. Meanwhile, prepare Cucumber Sauce by combining ingredients in asmall bowl. Serve kabobs with sauce. Yield: 4 servings -- National Cattlemen's Beef Association OREGANO-BREADED TOMATOES 1 cup panko breadcrumbs 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 6 large vine-ripened tomatoes, halved lengthwise Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a small baking pan. Make the stuffing: In a bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, oil,parsley, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Fill the tomatoes. Sprinkle each tomato half with salt and pepperand place them in a pan, cut-side up. Top with the breadcrumbmixture. Bake the tomatoes 30 minutes or until the crumbs are golden brown.Serve hot. Yield: 6 servings -- "Bistro Laurent Tourondel" HUEVOS RANCHEROS 4 8-inch corn tortillas 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup canned chopped green chiles 2 teaspoons chile powder, preferably New Mexico chile powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained 4 large eggs 1/4 cup commercial salsa 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 teaspoons chipped fresh cilantro Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat tortillas with cooking spray;place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes oruntil crisp. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with1 teaspoon oil. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and saute 3minutes. Add green chiles and next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil;cook 3 minutes or until thick. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Coat pan with 1teaspoon oil. Add eggs to pan, cook 3 minutes or until done. Place1 tortilla on each of 4 plates. Top each tortilla with tomatomixture and egg. Spoon salsa over each serving, sprinkle withcheese and cilantro. Yield: 4 servings -- Adapted from "Cooking Light Complete Cookbook" CUBAN BLACK BEAN STEW 1 or 2 meaty smoked ham hocks (about 1-1/2 pounds) Extra-virgin olive oil 3 whole cloves 2 medium to large onions, chopped into 1/2-inch dice 1 small to medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 small to medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 14-ounce cans chicken or vegetable broth 6 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 3 bay leaves, broken 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano 3/4 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 generous tablespoons tomato paste 3 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed 3 limes halved or about 1/3 cup sherry, wine or cider vinegar Trim meat away from ham-hock bone, cutting it into small pieces.Leave some on the bone. Film the bottom of a 10-quart stockpot witholive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Stir in the meat, bone,cloves, onions, bell peppers, and salt. Saute 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the vegetables aresizzling and there's a brown glaze on the bottom of the pan (thevegetables need not brown, and take care not to let the glazeblacken). Add a little broth along with the garlic, bay leaves, cumin,oregano, black pepper and tomato paste. With a wooden spatula,scrape up the glaze as you simmer the mix on medium-high heat for 3minutes. Then add the beans and the remaining broth. Adjust theheat so the soup bubbles gently. Cover the pot tightly and cook 20minutes. Stir in the juice from the limes or 1/3 cup of vinegar. Taste thesoup for seasoning. Adjust salt, pepper and lime juice or vinegarto taste. Ladle into bowls, topping each with a tablespoon of chopped onion.In Cuban style, you could ladle the stew over rice. Yield: 4 to 6 servings -- "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper"