I'm preparing Roman sauces by creating spice blends after the idea of
curry powder. This enables me to make a sauce more than once, or
tinker with it to change it slightly. My favorite so far is Cuminatum
(Apic. 1.15.1) - Cumin Sauce. If I already have a spice in powder
form I use it and just grind the whole spices and dried herbs in a
coffee/spice grinder. I can store the blend in little jars
indefinitely. Because there are no liquids I've taken a few liberties
with the ingredients, but have tried not to deviate too far from the
basic Roman repertoire of ingredients. This is my recipe for
Cuminatum.

CUMIN SPICE BLEND


      Grind to a powder:
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon celery salt
1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 dried bay leaf
1 teaspoon sugar
      Combine this with:     
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin

You can make a dipping sauce by moistening it with a small amount of
wine vinegar. You can cook it, but it's not necessary. You can
lightly sprinkle the dry powder over cooked foods, or add it to your
food while you're cooking. Recommended for seafood, but can be used
on vegetables and meats. It's a pretty potent mixture, so a little
goes a long way.
Phil Zaret