Muffaletta Sandwich & Bobby Flay

Tonight, Food Network stalwart Bobby Flay will do battle over a Louisana delicacy, the Muffaletta Sandwich. The show is called "Throwdown with Bobby Flay," and basically, he travels state to state challenging the locals to a cookoff. You haven't heard of a Muffaletta Sandwich, right?

The Muffaletta was invented in 1906 in the French Quarter, at an Italian store called Central Market Grocery by Signor Lupo Salvadore. Central Market is still in operation. Basically an Italian deli sandwich of salami, ham and cheese, dressed with an "olive" salad, instead of mustard / mayo; it's served in an Italian bread round loaf.
I went to high school in the Cajun state, so The Chef knows a Muffaletta -- although he's more of a
Po' Boy sandwich kind of guy (it's hard to beat fried oysters on a French roll.) When driving through Louisiana, stop at a small town grocery store and chances are you will find a sandwich counter in the back. Order a Mufalleta and tell them The 99 Cent Chef sent you.

Ingredients
10 inch round loaf of bread, halved (will serve about two)
3 oz of sliced salami and smoked ham (about half a package each)
4 slices of cheese (normally provolone, but whatever you've got is fine)
"olive" salad


Olive Salad
1 cup of pickled mixed vegetables (sans liquid)
1 cup total of salad green olives with pimiento and black olives
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
A sprinkle of dried oregano
Black pepper to taste


Directions
To make olive salad, combine ingredients into a blender and
chop roughly at lowest speed; or hand chop to a chunky consistency.

Slice halved loaf and layer olive salad, salami, ham and cheese.

The Chef will be watching Bobby Flay on The Food Network tonight.
Hey Bobby, next time you're in L.A., The 99 Cent Chef would love to challenge you to a 99c only Store "Throwdown!"