I'm thinking the origin story is that a kitchen worker didn't get a meal break over a 10-hour shift. When they finally closed he piled all the leftovers he could find onto one plate. And all the waitresses went "EEEWWWW!" but the male cookies watched him eat it with intense interest ...

You might be on to something.

I have two brothers and a sister who work(ed) in restaurants. And I worked at McD's for a while. Kitchen crews are ALWAYS hungry—and inventive.