Boil some herbs maybe like cinnamon, cloves, etc.

Also, don't ever use hing (asafoetida) - it STINKS worse than any spice I've come across. I put the bottle in a plastic ziploc bag and then inside a plastic Chinese food container. I still smell it when I open my spice cabinet.

I absolutely swear, swear, swear, by clove oil!

I read that it neutralizes cooking smells and it totally does the trick in my kitchen. I have an EO plug-in diffuser but boiling some water on the stovetop with a few drops of clove oil or whole or powdered cloves in it works too. If you need to neutralize a strong smell (oil in the air, etc.) it takes a few tries but it always works for me.

Warning: for certain old-timers it might trigger flashbacks to the dentist's office, I guess clove oil was used in numbing compresses.

A few bowls of baking soda left out on the counter, candles, and cook something else that leaves a good smell, like applesauce.

Yum, I would love to have an apartment filled with the smell of cumin! But anyway, if you hate it, I would agree with the other posters that you should boil some other strong-smelling oily herbs that you like the smell of. I've tried the dishes-of-baking-soda 'trick', and it has NEVER worked. Baking soda might absorb smells that are borne by droplets in the air, because it absorbs moisture from the air, but when the smell is from cooking then it's coming from gases and oils both in the air and on surfaces.

here's a sure fire way to get rid of most smells - simmer a small pot of white vinegar with a couple of cloves (or drops of clove oil) and cinnamon sticks. it's a fairly harsh smell, but once it's done, it'll get rid of most cooking smells. having said that, cumin is a tough one. i don't mind it in stuff, but by itself it turns me right off and it is strong. best of luck.

I use some chef's candles that help with that kind of thing. And I also leave all windows open!

I believe it was on a recent program of Cook's Country (the Chris Kimball show) that they did a controlled experiment and showed that baking soda doesn't work - not in your fridge, not anywhere. Anyone else see that?

Spray down your kitchen with white vinegar mixed with tea tree, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, and/or rosemary oil? They are all disinfecting, odor-reducing, and smell nice!

Also, some forms of charcoal and/or volcanic rock are supposed to be odor absorbing. But I second the bowls of (fresh!) baking soda.

Baking bread, chocolate chip cookies, or apple pie and opening the windows are other good ways to make your place smell amazing!

If you have a slow cooker, add baking soda and some water to it and let it run on low uncovered. It'll absorb the odors in the air. Stephanie O'Dea posted it on her 365 crockpot website. I've tried it myself in my small galley-style kitchen and it totally worked.

If it still smells, you may have to wipe down your counters, cabinets, and floors with a scented cleaner (lavender and citrus are my faves). You should also wash out your cooking vent mesh screen. If you have curtains, you might consider washing those. The oils from the cumin have attached to your surfaces, it seems.

I have found spice smells linger for me when the spices themselves are stored in my kitchen, rather than my freezer. So now I keep my stinky spices in the freezer. I'm sure some fancy gourmet people would tell me I'm a fool, but I don't want a stinky apartment!

Yeah I need help with this myself - I like to cook curry almost weekly - and I find myself having to use the range vent/fan, open the front door, all the windows and use a oscillating fan to air the smell - this is all while I'm cooking - and it still sticks - help!?

I don't mean to make light of your problem--I've been there myself--but this reminds me of a line from the movie Best in Show. A hotel manager is talking about the damage a rock band did to one of the rooms: "Roasting a goat in the room, I still don't understand. Getting the smell of cumin and charcoal out of the drapes was a chore. That was a big deal. We get an imprint of the credit card now."

Place a bowl with coffee beans on your counter. Works wonders!

punchnyc, i saw that. they recommend active charcoal as a better odor absorber; you can get it at pet stores (it's used in fish tanks as a filter).

cook's illustrated also recommended baking orange peels at a low temp.

I boil spices in a large stock pot with lemon and orange wedges. Usual go-to spices are cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamom, dried ginger. I leave it on a slow simmer for hours and refill water as necessary. It covers one smell with another, but once the spice boil smell fades, so has the smell that I was trying to get rid of.

I like to simmer citrus peels and five spice powder on the stovetop.

Asafoetida really is the worst. Mum has some for making curry powder, can't do without, but it stays sealed in an airtight jar otherwise, plastic bags won't do the trick.

Incense works every time!!! Burn a stick while cooking and one about an hour after your done.

I live in a mini loft too.I put carpet freshener down and let it stay. After a couple of days all unpleasant smells are gone. Never dealt with cumin though. I'd get a neutralizing room spray & spray everything with it.