Men Are Like Waffles--Women Are Like Spaghetti

The waffles and spaghetti analogy is so memorable—I'm curious whether this imagery came early in the writing process or evolved later. Did the author find it helped readers connect better?

While the metaphors made some concepts clear, I wondered if they risked reinforcing stereotypes. How do others interpret the balance between humor and nuance here?

The food metaphors make it fun to think about differences, but do they also make it harder to see individuals beyond the stereotypes? Would love to hear others' experiences.